Abstract
Clinically, blockade of renal glucose resorption by sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors slows progression of kidney disease, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We hypothesized that altered renal metabolites underlie observed kidney protection when SGLT2 function is lost. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) levels were increased in kidneys from mice lacking SGLT2 function on a diabetogenic high-fat diet (SPHFD) compared with WT mice fed HFD. Elevated SAM in SPHFD was associated with improved kidney function and decreased expression of NF-κB pathway–related genes. Injured proximal tubular cells that emerged under HFD conditions in WT mice and humans consistently showed reduction in expression of the SAM synthetase Mat2a/MAT2A, while MAT2A inhibition, which reduces SAM production, abrogated kidney protection in SPHFD mice. Histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) repressive trimethylation of NF-κB–related genes was increased in SPHFD, consistent with SAM’s role as a methyl donor. Our data support a model whereby SGLT2 loss enhances SAM levels within the kidney, leading to epigenetic repression of inflammatory genes and kidney protection under metabolic stress.
Authors
Hiroshi Maekawa, Yalu Zhou, Yuki Aoi, Margaret E. Fain, Dorian S. Kaminski, Hyewon Kong, Zachary L. Sebo, Ram P. Chakrabarty, Benjamin C. Howard, Grant Andersen, Biliana Marcheva, Peng Gao, Pinelopi Kapitsinou, Joseph Bass, Ali Shilatifard, Navdeep S. Chandel, Susan E. Quaggin
Figure 5
Inhibition of methionine enzyme, MAT2A, abrogates kidney protection in SPHFD mice.
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)