Liraglutide ameliorates diabetic kidney disease by modulating gut microbiota and L-5-Oxoproline

The gut microbiome-metabolites-kidney axis is a potential target for treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Our previous study found that Liraglutide attenuated DKD in rats by decreasing renal tubular ectopic lipid deposition (ELD) and serum metabolites levels, including L-5-Oxoproline (5-OP). However, the response of gut microbiome-metabolites-kidney axis to Liraglutide in DKD rats and the effect of 5-OP on ELD remain unknown. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were used as an animal model of DKD. They were subjected to a high fat diet, streptozotocin and uninephrectomy, followed by Liraglutide treatment (0.4 mg/kg d). Additionally, HK-2 cells were incubated with 30 mM glucose and 200 μM palmitate for 24h, and exposed to different concentrations of 5-OP. In DKD rats, Liraglutide dramatically improved the renal tubule structure. It increased the Simpson index (F = 4.487, p = 0.035) and reduced the Actinobacteria-to-Bacteroidetes ratio (F = 6.189, p = 0.014). At the genus level, Liraglutide increased the relative abundance of Clostridium, Oscillospira, Sarcina, SMB53, and 02d06 while decreasing that of Allobaculum. Meanwhile, 13 metabolites were significantly altered after Liraglutide treatment. Multi-omics analysis found that 5-OP levels were positively correlated with Clostridium abundance but negatively correlated with renal injury related indicators. In HK-2 cells, 5-OP significantly reduced the ELD in a dose-dependent manner through inhibiting the expression of SREBP1 and FAS. Overall, the renoprotective effect of Liraglutide in DKD rats is linked to the improvement of the gut microbiota composition and increased serum 5-OP levels, which may reduce ELD in renal tubular cells by lowering lipid synthesis.