Effects of Metformin on Renal Function, Cardiac Function, and Inflammatory Response in Diabetic Nephropathy and Its Protective Mechanism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of metformin on renal function, cardiac function, and inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy and its protective mechanism. METHODS: A total of 88 patients with diabetic nephropathy who were admitted to our hospital from April 2019 to October 2020 were recruited and grouped according to different treatment methods, namely, the experimental group (n = 44) and the control group (n = 44). The patients in the experimental group were treated with metformin, and the patients in the control group were treated with liraglutide injection (nonmetformin). Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), and inflammatory response (hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6) were compared. RESULTS: Compared with corresponding values before treatment, BUN, Scr, hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, LVEDD, and LVESD were decreased after treatment, whereas LVEF was increased (all P < 0.05), with significant change in the experimental group (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Metformin can effectively improve the level of renal function and cardiac function in patients with diabetic nephropathy and help patients control and reduce the body's inflammatory response, and its therapeutic efficacy is superior to that of liraglutide injection.