Liraglutide ameliorates diabetic lung injury and muscle damage via modulation of TLR4/NF-κB and Atrogin-1/AMPK signaling pathways

Liraglutide treatment protected diabetic rats from lung injury and skeletal muscle damage that occur alongside type 2 diabetes. Diabetic rats showed elevated glucose, lipid abnormalities, and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, while liraglutide significantly improved these molecular and structural changes in both organs.

Journal article — parallel-group controlled animal study. Population: male rats with experimental type 2 diabetes. Sample size: 15 rats. Interventions: Liraglutide.

Diabetic rats exhibited significant hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, elevated methylglyoxal and HIF-1α, along with increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the lung, and increased muscle atrophy in skeletal muscle. Lung tissue showed increased IL-1β and NF-κB/TLR4 expression, while skeletal muscle showed altered MAPK, HSP70, Atrogin-1, and AMPK levels. Liraglutide treatment significantly ameliorated these molecular and structural alterations in both organs.

This paper is relevant to researchers studying liraglutide's pleiotropic effects in diabetes, specifically its potential to protect extrapancreatic tissues such as lung and skeletal muscle through TLR4/NF-κB and Atrogin-1/AMPK pathways. It does not establish clinical efficacy, dosing, or mechanisms in humans, as no human data are presented.

Key findings

• Diabetic rats had significantly elevated fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and lipid abnormalities compared with controls.
• Serum methylglyoxal and HIF-1α were higher in diabetic rats than in controls.
• Diabetic lung tissue showed increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and NF-κB/TLR4 expression.
• Diabetic skeletal muscle showed increased atrophy and changes in Atrogin-1/AMPK signaling.
• Liraglutide treatment significantly ameliorated molecular and structural alterations in both lung and skeletal muscle.

Limitations

• Small total sample size (15 rats, 5 per group) limits statistical power.
• Animal model: findings may not directly translate to human diabetes.
• Dose and duration of liraglutide treatment are not reported in the abstract.
• Outcomes are limited to molecular and histopathological markers; no functional measurements are described.

The record

• Journal: Molecular biology reports 53(1): 830
• Published: 2026-05-26
• PMID: 42189284 — DOI: 10.1007/s11033-026-11978-6
• MeSH terms: Muscle, Skeletal, Lung, Animals, Rats, Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases, Blood Glucose, Muscle Proteins, NF-kappa B, Signal Transduction, Oxidative Stress, Male, Toll-Like Receptor 4, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit, Lung Injury, AMP-Activated Protein Kinases, Liraglutide
• Author countries: Egypt

Peptide profiles: Liraglutide.

All indexed evidence: Liraglutide trials & papers.

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