Impact of sodium glucose linked cotransporter‐2 inhibition on renal microvascular oxygen tension in a rodent model of diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The mechanisms whereby inhibitors of sodium‐glucose linked cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) exert their nephroprotective effects in patients with diabetes are incompletely understood but have been hypothesized to include improved tissue oxygen tension within the renal cortex. The impact of SGLT2 inhibition is likely complex and region specific within the kidney. We hypothesize that SGLT2 inhibitors have differential effects on renal tissue oxygen delivery and consumption in specific regions of the diabetic kidney, including the superficial cortex, containing SGLT2‐rich components of proximal tubules, versus the deeper cortex and outer medulla, containing predominantly SGLT1 receptors.