Empagliflozin in mice fed on a fast-food diet: Preliminary biochemical data

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Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease affecting a large proportion of the general population (25%). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, empagliflozin, on NAFLD and the preliminary data of week 8 are hereby presented. Material and methods: Twenty-four C57Bl/6 mice of both genders were randomly assigned in three groups: 8 mice fed on chow diet (control group), 8 mice fed fast-food diet (FFD) and empagliflozin, and 8 mice fed FFD without empagliflozin for 8 weeks. Weight measurement, and blood sampling for the measurement of glucose, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol and triglycerides were performed at baseline and week 8. Results: Between-group comparisons did not show significant differences between FFD groups with and without empagliflozin. The only between-group difference regarding empagliflozin group was in cholesterol at week 8, which was higher compared to control group (p=0.009). Within-group comparisons showed increases in total cholesterol in both FFD groups, ALT in FFD/empagliflozin group and glucose in FFD group. Despite the expected increase in body weight, no biochemical change was observed in the control group. Conclusions: Empagliflozin did not show preventive benefits on body weight or metabolic biochemical parameters after 8 weeks of treating FFD mice, thus, possibly highlighting that 8 weeks may be short period for FFD to exert its adverse effects in full, as well as for empagliflozin to exert any potentially beneficial effect.