REVIEW ON SODIUM GLUCOSE CO-TRANSPORTER-2 (SGLT2) INHIBITORS: A NEW CLASS OF ANTI-DIABETIC DRUG

SGLT2 inhibitors are a class of prescription medicines that are FDA approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type II diabetes. When untreated, type II diabetes can lead to serious problems including blindness, nerve and kidney damage, and heart disease. SGLT2 inhibitors lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine. These medicines are available as singleingredient products and also in combination with other diabetes medicines such as metformin. The safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors have not been established in patients with type I diabetes, and FDA has not approved them for use in these patients. Reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) and is carried out by two isoforms of SGLT. SGLT-2 is located in the S1 and S2 segments of the PCT and has a high capacity but low affinity for glucose transport. In healthy individuals, it reabsorbs ~ 90% of filtered glucose. SGLT-1 governs glucose transport in the S3 segment and is a low-capacity, high-affinity glucose transporter that reabsorbs the remaining 10% of the filtered glucose.SGLT-2 inhibitors have a novel mechanism of action that is independent of insulin secretion and action. These agents block glucose reabsorption, leading to urinary glucose excretion. The advantages of this approach are reduced hyperglycemia without hypoglycemia, along with weight loss and blood pressure reduction. [2] Keywords: SGLT2 inhibitors, Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin, Type II diabetes.