Therapeutic potential of canagliflozin in DEN/TAA-induced renal cancer: mechanistic insights into NLRP3/IL-6/STAT3 and AMPK signaling and oxidative stress regulation

A novel class of antidiabetic drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-Is) prevents the renal proximal tubules from reabsorbing glucose. While a recent study showed that SGLT2-Is may be able to slow the proliferation of cancer cells that express SGLT2, limited evidence exists regarding their effects on renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Here, we examine the ability of the SGLT2-I canagliflozin (Cana) to prevent experimentally induced kidney carcinogenesis in male rats. A total of twenty-four rats were divided into four groups, six in each: negative control, DEN/TAA control; rats (60-70 g) were fed a choline-deficient diet (CDD) for 4 weeks, then rats were subjected to four doses of 50 mg/kg diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) over 8 weeks followed by thioacetamide 100 mg/kg (TAA) intraperitoneal injections twice weekly for 15 weeks, treated groups: rats were given canagliflozin (10 and 20 mg/kg b.wt.) orally starting from the 24th week of the experiment till the end of the 29th week. The obtained findings showed that treatment with canagliflozin reduced renal oxidative stress and toxicity indicator levels and considerably reinforced renal antioxidant capacity. The histological changes further supported the biochemical findings. In addition, canagliflozin therapy activated AMPK and inhibited Nrf2, NLRP3 and IL-6/STAT3 pro-inflammatory pathway. Immunohistochemistry exhibited upregulation of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 and downregulation of PCNA expression in Cana-treated groups. Conclusion: the results showed that canagliflozin has anti-carcinogenic efficacy against renal carcinogenesis via activating AMPK and suppressing NLRP3/IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathways.