Glibenclamide improves kidney and heart structure and function in the adenine-diet model of chronic kidney disease

The development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated cardiovascular disease involves free radical damage and inflammation. Addition of adenine to the diet induces inflammation followed by CKD and cardiovascular disease. NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP-3) is pro-inflammatory in the kidney; glibenclamide inhibits production of NLRP-3. Male Wistar rats were fed either control rat food or adenine (0.25%) in this food for 16 weeks. Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg/day) was administered to two groups with and without adenine for the final 8 weeks. Kidney function (blood urea nitrogen/BUN, plasma creatinine/PCr, plasma uric acid, proteinuria), kidney structure (fibrosis, inflammation), cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, left ventricular stiffness, vascular responses and echocardiography) and protein expression of markers for oxidative stress (HO-1), and inflammation (TNF-α, NLRP-3) were assessed. In adenine-fed rats, glibenclamide decreased BUN (controls: 6 ± 0.6; adenine: 56.6 ± 5.4; adenine + glibenclamide: 19.4 ± 2.7 mmol/L), PCr (controls: 42 ± 2.8; adenine: 268 ± 23; adenine + glibenclamide: 81 ± 10 μmol/L), proteinuria (controls: 150 ± 7.4; adenine: 303 ± 19; adenine + glibenclamide: 220 ± 13 μmol/L) (all p < 0.05). Glibenclamide decreased infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells, fibrosis, tubular damage and expression of HO-1, TNF-α and NLRP-3 in the kidney. Glibenclamide did not alter plasma uric acid concentrations (controls: 38 ± 1; adenine: 63 ± 4; adenine + glibenclamide: 69 ± 14 μmol/L). Cardiovascular changes included decreased systolic blood pressure and improved vascular responses although cardiac fibrosis, left ventricular stiffness and hypertrophy were not reduced. Glibenclamide improved kidney structure and function in CKD and decreased some cardiovascular parameters. Inflammatory markers and cell populations were attenuated by glibenclamide in kidneys.