Figure 2.

The mechanisms of SGLT2 in diabetic cardiomyopathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. Figure 2. expression in pericytes and mesangial cells under high-glucose conditions induces capillary damage in the heart, kidney, and retina, as shown in Figure 2. The subsequent cellular dysfunction evokes DCM, diabetic nephropathy (DN), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). SGLT2 inhibitors inhibit the excess glucose and Na⁺ entry through SGLT2 into pericytes and mesangial cells, which protects against and attenuates high glucose-induced capillary damage in the heart, kidney and retina. Since capillaries are widespread in the human body, further positive effects of these inhibitors on human disease are expected.