A new mesangial triumvirate: sulfonylureas, their receptors and endosulfines

Although sulfonylureas have long been therapeutically utilized for their hypoglycemic properties in type 2 diabetic patients, there is a paucity of clinical or experimental data that suggests that this pharmacotherapeutic class confers a benefit on the course of diabetic renal disease. Because the mesangial compartment is central to the fibrogenic response that evolves during the course of diabetic nephropathy, determining the metabolic influence of sulfonylureas on mesangial cells is important. In this article, the current knowledge regarding the metabolic and functional consequences of a mesangial triumvirate of sulfonylureas, their sulfonylurea receptors and sulfonylurea-like ligands termed endosulfines will be reviewed.