Effect of sodium–glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on the levels of serum asprosin in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: Asprosin, a novel adipokine that raises glucose levels and stimulates appetite, has been proved to be pathologically increased in populations predisposed to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for hypoglycemic effect and cardiovascular protection have not been fully clarified. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess change in the levels of serum asprosin after treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 29 participants with newly diagnosed T2DM with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23.0 kg/m(2) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels of 58–85 mmol/mol (7.5–10%) were randomized to SGLT2 inhibitors dapagliflozin 10 mg/d (n = 19) or placebo (n = 10) treatment for 24 weeks. We analyzed asprosin concentrations by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Besides, body weight, BMI, HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and lipid levels were measured at baseline and 24 weeks. RESULTS: At 24 weeks, participants with SGLT2 inhibitors treatment exhibited lower levels of serum asprosin (22.87 vs 45.06 ng/ml in the placebo group; P < 0.001) after adjusting for baseline values. The levels of body weight, BMI, HbA1c, FPG, and triglyceride (TG) were decreased, while high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was increased after SGLT2 inhibitors dapagliflozin treatment compared with placebo (P < 0.05 for all). Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) levels were unchanged in the SGLT2 inhibitors group and placebo group. No statistical correlation was found between the levels of serum asprosin and body weight, BMI, HbA1c, FPG, and lipid levels during the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that SGLT2 inhibitors can lower serum asprosin levels and improve glucolipid and weight in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, which may benefit the cardiovascular system. Trial registration CTR20131268; Registered 20 March 2014 CTR20150102; Registered 03 March 2015. http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/clinicaltrials.searchlistdetail.dhtml.