Suppression of abdominal aortic aneurysm formation in mice by teneligliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor

Aim: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors lower blood glucose levels through inhibition of incretin degradation, which stimulates insulin secretion. Recent studies reported that DPP-4 inhibitors suppressed atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoEKO) mice. In this study, we investigated whether teneligliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, affects the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in ApoEKO mice. Methods: ApoEKO mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and infused with angiotensin (Ang) Ⅱ by osmotic mini pumps for 4 weeks to induce AAA with (DPP-4i group) or without (control group) teneligliptin administered orally from 1 week before HFD and Ang Ⅱ infusion to the end of the experiment. Confluent rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were serum-starved for 48 hours, then incubated with or without teneligliptin for another 24 hours and stimulated with Ang Ⅱ. Results: Treatment with teneligliptin significantly reduced the AAA formation rate (30.7% vs. 71.4% vs. control, P <0.05), aortic dilatation (1.32±0.09 mm vs. 1.76±0.18 mm in the control, P <0.05) and severity score (0.75±0.28 vs. 1.91±0.4 in the control, P <0.05). Elastin degradation grade was also attenuated in DPP-4i group (2.83±0.17 vs. 3.45±0.16 in the control, P <0.05). The number of macrophages infiltrating into the abdominal aorta was decreased in the DPP-4i group (51.8±29.8/section vs. 219.5±78.5/section in the control, P <0.05). Teneligliptin attenuated Ang Ⅱ-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt, and mRNA expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in VSMCs. Conclusion: Treatment with teneligliptin suppressed AAA formation in ApoEKO mice with HFD and Ang Ⅱ infusion. Suppression of macrophage infiltration by teneligliptin may be involved in the inhibition of AAA formation.