Dulaglutide exerts beneficial anti atherosclerotic effects in ApoE knockout mice with diabetes: the earlier, the better

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 14;11(1):1425. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-80894-x.

Abstract

There has been no report about the mechanism for anti-atherosclerotic effects of dulaglutide (Dula) and/or about the difference of its effectiveness between in an early and a late phase of diabetes. To address such questions, streptozotocin (STZ) was intraperitoneally injected to ApoE knockout mice at 8 weeks of age. Either Dula or vehicle was administered to STZ-induced diabetic ApoE knockout mice from 10 to 18 weeks of age as an early intervention group and from 18 to 26 weeks as a late intervention group. Next, non-diabetic ApoE knockout mice without STZ injection were subcutaneously injected with either Dula or vehicle. In an early intervention group, atherosclerotic lesion in aortic arch and Mac-2 and CD68-positive areas in aortic root were significantly smaller in Dula group. In abdominal aorta, expression levels of some villain factors were lower in Dula group. In a late intervention group, there were no immunohistological differences in aortic root and expression levels of various factors between two groups. Furthermore, even in non-diabetic ApoE knockout mice, expression levels of inflammatory and macrophage markers were reduced by treatment with Dula. Taken together, Dula exerts more beneficial anti-atherosclerotic effects in an early phase of diabetes rather than in a late phase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta, Abdominal / metabolism*
  • Apolipoproteins E / deficiency
  • Atherosclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Atherosclerosis / genetics
  • Atherosclerosis / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Glucagon-Like Peptides / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glucagon-Like Peptides / pharmacology
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout, ApoE
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / drug therapy*
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / genetics
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Apoe protein, mouse
  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Glucagon-Like Peptides
  • dulaglutide