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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Assessment of Kidney Function in Mouse Models of Glomerular Disease
Published on: June 30, 2018
Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibition improves age-dependent kidney microvascular rarefaction
Anastasia Paulmann1, Matthew D Cox2, Tom Boewer1
1Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), Bar Harbor, Maine, USA; Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.
Aging kidneys show vascular damage and functional decline. Dapagliflozin (SGLT2i) treatment in killifish preserved kidney microvasculature, reduced albuminuria, and maintained a youthful transcriptome, suggesting vascular protection.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nephrology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Kidney aging involves progressive loss of function and vascular structure.
- Mechanisms of kidney vascular aging and therapeutic targets are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate natural kidney aging using the African turquoise killifish model.
- Evaluate dapagliflozin (SGLT2i) as a therapeutic intervention for kidney vascular aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized killifish to study kidney aging.
- Administered SGLT2 inhibitor (dapagliflozin).
- Assessed kidney structure, function, and molecular profiles via histology, imaging, and transcriptomics.
Main Results:
- Aged killifish kidneys showed glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy, and vascular rarefaction.
- SGLT2i treatment attenuated vascular rarefaction, preserved capillary networks, and reduced albuminuria.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed SGLT2i preserved youthful gene expression and enhanced intercellular signaling.
Conclusions:
- The killifish is a viable model for kidney vascular aging research.
- SGLT2i demonstrated vascular-protective effects, preserving kidney microvasculature and function.
- SGLT2i may mitigate age-related kidney deterioration by protecting kidney vasculature.
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