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European Heart Journal Jan 2021This review covers the last 80 years of remarkable progress in the development of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists (MRAs) from synthesis of the first... (Review)
Review
This review covers the last 80 years of remarkable progress in the development of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists (MRAs) from synthesis of the first mineralocorticoid to trials of nonsteroidal MRAs. The MR is a nuclear receptor expressed in many tissues/cell types including the kidney, heart, immune cells, and fibroblasts. The MR directly affects target gene expression-primarily fluid, electrolyte and haemodynamic homeostasis, and also, but less appreciated, tissue remodelling. Pathophysiological overactivation of the MR leads to inflammation and fibrosis in cardiorenal disease. We discuss the mechanisms of action of nonsteroidal MRAs and how they differ from steroidal MRAs. Nonsteroidal MRAs have demonstrated important differences in their distribution, binding mode to the MR and subsequent gene expression. For example, the novel nonsteroidal MRA finerenone has a balanced distribution between the heart and kidney compared with spironolactone, which is preferentially concentrated in the kidneys. Compared with eplerenone, equinatriuretic doses of finerenone show more potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects on the kidney in rodent models. Overall, nonsteroidal MRAs appear to demonstrate a better benefit-risk ratio than steroidal MRAs, where risk is measured as the propensity for hyperkalaemia. Among patients with Type 2 diabetes, several Phase II studies of finerenone show promising results, supporting benefits on the heart and kidneys. Furthermore, finerenone significantly reduced the combined primary endpoint (chronic kidney disease progression, kidney failure, or kidney death) vs. placebo when added to the standard of care in a large Phase III trial.
Topics: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Heart Failure; Humans; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Mineralocorticoids; Spironolactone
PubMed: 33099609
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa736 -
Annals of Medicine Dec 2023Persons with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high residual risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) complications despite treatment with renin-angiotensin... (Review)
Review
Persons with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high residual risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) complications despite treatment with renin-angiotensin system blockers and sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors. Overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptors plays a key role in the progression of renal and CV disease, mainly by promoting inflammation and fibrosis. Finerenone is a nonsteroidal selective mineralocorticoid antagonist. Recent clinical trials, such as FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD and the combined analysis FIDELITY have demonstrated that finerenone decreases albuminuria, risk of CKD progression, and CV risk in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and CKD. As a result, finerenone should thus be considered as part of a holistic approach to kidney and CV risk in persons with T2D and CKD. In this narrative review, the impact of finerenone treatment on the CV system in persons with type 2 diabetes and CKD is analyzed from a practical point of view.Key messages:Despite inhibition of renin-angiotensin system and sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2, persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain on high cardiovascular (CV) residual risk.Overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptors plays a key role in the progression of renal and CV disease, mainly by promoting inflammation and fibrosis that is not targeted by traditional treatments.Finerenone is a nonsteroidal selective mineralocorticoid antagonist that decreases not only albuminuria, but also the risk of CKD progression, and CV risk in subjects with T2D and CKD.
Topics: Humans; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; Albuminuria; Diabetic Nephropathies; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Cardiovascular Diseases; Kidney; Fibrosis; Inflammation; Glucose; Sodium
PubMed: 36719097
DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2171110 -
Kidney International Aug 2019Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a global health concern, and its prevalence is increasing. The ultimate therapeutic option for CKD is kidney transplantation.... (Review)
Review
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a global health concern, and its prevalence is increasing. The ultimate therapeutic option for CKD is kidney transplantation. However, the use of drugs that target specific pathways to delay or halt CKD progression, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors is limited in clinical practice. Mineralocorticoid receptor activation in nonclassical tissues, such as the endothelium, smooth muscle cells, inflammatory cells, podocytes, and fibroblasts may have deleterious effects on kidney structure and function. Several preclinical studies have shown that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) ameliorate or cure kidney injury and dysfunction in different models of kidney disease. In this review, we present the preclinical evidence showing a benefit of MRAs in acute kidney injury, the transition from acute kidney injury to CKD, hypertensive and diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis, and kidney toxicity induced by calcineurin inhibitors. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms responsible for renoprotection related to MRAs that lead to reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, and hemodynamic alterations. The available clinical data support a benefit of MRA in reducing proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease and improving cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients. Moreover, a benefit of MRAs in kidney transplantation has also been observed. The past and present clinical trials describing the effect of MRAs on kidney injury are presented, and the risk of hyperkalemia and use of other options, such as potassium binding agents or nonsteroidal MRAs, are also addressed. Altogether, the available preclinical and clinical data support a benefit of using MRAs in CKD, an approach that should be further explored in future clinical trials.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Animals; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Global Burden of Disease; Global Health; Humans; Kidney; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Oxidative Stress; Prevalence; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; Regional Blood Flow; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31133455
DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2019.02.030 -
British Journal of Pharmacology Jul 2022Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are key agents in guideline-oriented drug therapy for cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure with reduced... (Review)
Review
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are key agents in guideline-oriented drug therapy for cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and resistant hypertension. Currently available steroidal MRAs are efficacious in reducing morbidity and mortality; however, they can be associated with intolerable side effects including hyperkalaemia in everyday clinical practice. Recently, a new class of non-steroidal MRAs (including esaxerenone, AZD9977, apararenone, KBP-5074 and finerenone) have been developed with an improved benefit-risk profile and a novel indication for finerenone for diabetic kidney disease. To better understand the non-steroidal MRAs, this review provides information on the molecular pharmacology as well as relevant current preclinical and clinical data on cardiorenal outcomes. A comparative review of all compounds in the class is discussed with regard to clinical efficacy and safety as well as a perspective outlining their future use in clinical practice. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Emerging Fields for Therapeutic Targeting of the Aldosterone-Mineralocorticoid Receptor Signaling Pathway. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.13/issuetoc.
Topics: Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension, Renal; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Mineralocorticoids; Nephritis; Piperidines; Pyrazoles; Quinolines
PubMed: 34811750
DOI: 10.1111/bph.15747 -
Cardiovascular Diabetology Jun 2023Finerenone is a novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist (MRA) with high binding affinity, high MR selectivity and a short plasma half-life. In two... (Review)
Review
Finerenone is a novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist (MRA) with high binding affinity, high MR selectivity and a short plasma half-life. In two major endpoint-driven clinical trials in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD), finerenone induced significant cardiorenal protective actions, and has been recently approved for treatment of these patients. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a devastating clinical syndrome with increasing prevalence and poor prognosis. Pharmacological therapy of HFpEF is very limited and new therapeutic options are urgently needed. Finerenone has been shown to improve multiple pathophysiological parameters of HFpEF in preclinical models. In consonance, pre-specified subgroup analyses of FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD suggested a potential beneficial effect of finerenone in HFpEF. This review will discuss the pharmacodynamic and -kinetic profile of finerenone. We will provide a general overview over the complex pathophysiology of HFpEF and data from pre-clinical studies, focusing on how finerenone improves multiple components of this pathophysiology. Finally, we will discuss current and future clinical trials with finerenone in heart failure patients focusing on HFpEF.
Topics: Humans; Heart Failure; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Stroke Volume
PubMed: 37386461
DOI: 10.1186/s12933-023-01899-0 -
Endocrinology and Metabolism (Seoul,... Feb 2023Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). CKD increases the risk of... (Review)
Review
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). CKD increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases; therefore, its prevention and treatment are important. The prevention of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) can be achieved through intensive glycemic control and blood pressure management. Additionally, DKD treatment aims to reduce albuminuria and improve kidney function. In patients with T2DM, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists can delay the progression of DKD. Hence, there is a need for novel treatments that can effectively suppress DKD progression. Finerenone is a first-in-class nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist with clinically proven efficacy in improving albuminuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and risk of cardiovascular events in early and advanced DKD. Therefore, finerenone is a promising treatment option to delay DKD progression. This article reviews the mechanism of renal effects and major clinical outcomes of finerenone in DKD.
Topics: Humans; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Diabetic Nephropathies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Albuminuria; Double-Blind Method; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors; Kidney; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 36891650
DOI: 10.3803/EnM.2022.1629 -
Cell Reports Jun 2021Responding to different dynamic levels of stress is critical for mammalian survival. Disruption of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)...
Responding to different dynamic levels of stress is critical for mammalian survival. Disruption of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling is proposed to underlie hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation observed in stress-related psychiatric disorders. In this study, we show that FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP5) plays a critical role in fine-tuning MR:GR balance in the hippocampus. Biotinylated-oligonucleotide immunoprecipitation in primary hippocampal neurons reveals that MR binding, rather than GR binding, to the Fkbp5 gene regulates FKBP5 expression during baseline activity of glucocorticoids. Notably, FKBP5 and MR exhibit similar hippocampal expression patterns in mice and humans, which are distinct from that of the GR. Pharmacological inhibition and region- and cell type-specific receptor deletion in mice further demonstrate that lack of MR decreases hippocampal Fkbp5 levels and dampens the stress-induced increase in glucocorticoid levels. Overall, our findings demonstrate that MR-dependent changes in baseline Fkbp5 expression modify GR sensitivity to glucocorticoids, providing insight into mechanisms of stress homeostasis.
Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation; Hippocampus; Humans; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Biological; Neurons; RNA, Messenger; Receptors, Glucocorticoid; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; Stress, Physiological; Tacrolimus Binding Proteins; Mice
PubMed: 34077736
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109185 -
American Journal of Hypertension Feb 2023Steroidal mineralocorticoid-receptor-antagonists (MRAs), such as spironolactone and eplerenone, are guideline-directed therapies in patients with heart failure with... (Review)
Review
Steroidal mineralocorticoid-receptor-antagonists (MRAs), such as spironolactone and eplerenone, are guideline-directed therapies in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or resistant hypertension. However, the associated risk of hyperkalemia and hormonal side effects limit their broad use and downstream cardiorenal protection in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and moderate-to-advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The critical unmet need to improve long-term cardiorenal outcomes in such patients with CKD has sparked considerable efforts to the discovery and development of a new class of compounds. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal MRA that has recently received regulatory approval with the indication of cardiorenal protection in patients with CKD associated with T2DM. Two landmark phase 3 clinical trials, FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD, demonstrated that among patients with T2DM and a broad spectrum of CKD, finerenone reduced the risk of "hard" cardiovascular and kidney failure outcomes as compared with placebo, with a minimal risk of hyperkalemia. Subgroup analyses of these trials also provided preliminary evidence that the efficacy and safety profile of finerenone was similar and irrespective of background therapy with other guideline-directed therapies, such as sodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagone-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. Whether the combination of finerenone with a SGLT-2 inhibitor is more beneficial in patients with T2DM and CKD as compared with either therapy alone is a crucial research question that is currently under investigation in an ongoing clinical trial.
Topics: Humans; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Mineralocorticoids; Hyperkalemia; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 36331811
DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpac124 -
Endocrinology Apr 2022
Topics: Aldosterone; Glucocorticoids; Mineralocorticoids; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid
PubMed: 35148380
DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac016 -
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) Oct 2022We studied the ability of the nonsteroidal MR (mineralocorticoid receptor) antagonist finerenone to attenuate vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension using two...
BACKGROUND
We studied the ability of the nonsteroidal MR (mineralocorticoid receptor) antagonist finerenone to attenuate vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension using two complementary preclinical models (the monocrotaline and sugen/hypoxia rat models) of severe pulmonary hypertension.
METHODS
We first examined the distribution pattern of MR in the lungs of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in monocrotaline and sugen/hypoxia rat lungs. Subsequent studies were performed to explore the effect of MR inhibition on proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells derived from patients with idiopathic PAH. To validate the functional importance of MR activation in the pulmonary vascular remodeling characteristic of pulmonary hypertension, mice overexpressing human MR (hMR+) were studied, and curative treatments with finerenone (1 mg/kg per day by gavage), started 2 weeks after monocrotaline injection or 5 weeks after Sugen injection were realized.
RESULTS
We demonstrated that MR is overexpressed in experimental and human PAH and that its inhibition following small interfering RNA-mediated MR silencing or finerenone treatment attenuates proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells derived from patients with idiopathic PAH. In addition, we obtained evidence that hMR+ mice display increased right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and remodeling of pulmonary arterioles. Consistent with these observations, curative treatments with finerenone partially reversed established pulmonary hypertension, reducing total pulmonary vascular resistance and vascular remodeling. Finally, we found that continued finerenone treatment decreases inflammatory cell infiltration and vascular cell proliferation in monocrotaline and sugen/hypoxia rat lungs.
CONCLUSIONS
Finerenone treatment appears to be a potential therapy for PAH worthy of investigation and evaluation for clinical use in conjunction with current PAH treatments.
Topics: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Hypoxia; Mice; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Monocrotaline; Naphthyridines; Pulmonary Artery; Rats; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; Vascular Remodeling
PubMed: 35979822
DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19207