An emerging protagonist: Sodium Glucose Co-transporters (SGLTs) as a burgeoning target for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Contemporary therapies to rationalize the hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) generally involve insulin-dependent mechanisms and lose their effectiveness as pancreatic b-cell function decreases to a greater extent. The kidney emerges out as a novel and potential target to trim down the T2DM. The filtered glucose is reabsorbed principally through the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2), a low affinity transport system, which is present at the luminal surface cells that cover the first segment of proximal tubules. Competitive inhibition of SGLT2 therefore represents an innovative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hyperglycaemia and/or obesity in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes by enhancing glucose and energy loss through the urine. Selective inhibitors of SGLT2 reduce glucose reabsorption, causing excess glucose to be eliminated in the urine; this decreases plasma glucose. SGLT2 inhibitors are coupled with osmotic dieresis and loss of weight which aid in reducing blood pressure. The observation that individuals with familial renal glycosuria maintain normal long-term kidney function provides some encouragement that this mode of action will not adversely affect renal function. This novel mechanism of targeting the kidney for the treatment of T2DM is reasonably valuable and is independent of insulin and clutch with the low risk of hypoglycemia