Liraglutide effects on epicardial adipose tissue micro-RNAs and intra-operative glucose control

Gianluca Iacobellis; Jeffrey J Goldberger; Joseph Lamelas; Claudia A Martinez; Carlos Munoz Sterling; Monica Bodenstab; Daniela Frasca

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2024.08.019

Liraglutide effects on epicardial adipose tissue micro-RNAs and intra-operative glucose control

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2024 Aug 30:S0939-4753(24)00329-6. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2024.08.019. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Gianluca Iacobellis¹, Jeffrey J Goldberger², Joseph Lamelas³, Claudia A Martinez², Carlos Munoz Sterling², Monica Bodenstab⁴, Daniela Frasca⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. Electronic address: giacobellis@med.miami.edu.
² Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
³ Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, DeWitt Daughtry Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
⁵ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.

PMID: 39277531
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2024.08.019

Abstract

Background and aim: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD). EAT has regional distribution throughout the heart and each location may have a different genetic profile and function. Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor analogs (GLP-1RAs) reduce cardiovascular risk. However, the short-term effects of GLP-1RA on microRNA (miRNA) profile of each EAT location is unknown. Objective was to evaluate if EAT miRNAs were different between coronary (CORO-EAT), left atrial EAT (LA-EAT) and subcutaneous fat (SAT), and liraglutide can modulate EAT miRNAs expression.

Methods and results: This was a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 38 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) who were started on either liraglutide or placebo for a minimum of 4 up to 12 weeks prior to coronary artery by-pass grafting (CABG). Fat samples were collected during CABG. miR16, miR155 and miR181a were significantly higher in CORO-EAT and in LA-EAT than SAT (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05) in overall patients. miR16 and miR181-a were significantly higher in CORO-EAT than SAT (p < 0.01), and miR155 and miR181a were higher in LA-EAT than SAT (p < 0.05) in the liraglutide group. Liraglutide-treated patients had better intra-op glucose control than placebo (146 ± 21 vs 160 ± 21 mg/dl, p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Our study shows that CORO- and LA-miRNAs profiles were significantly different than SAT miRNAs in overall patients and miRNAs were significantly higher in CORO-EAT and LA-EAT than SAT in the liraglutide group. Pre-op liraglutide was also associated with better intra operative glucose control than placebo independently of weight loss.

Keywords: Coronary artery bypass grafting; Coronary artery disease; Epicardial fat; GLP-1RAs; Liraglutide.

Copyright © 2024 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.