Aim: To compare pioglitazone or glibenclamide alone and in combination with rosuvastatin on hepatic steatosis in type 2 diabetic patients.
Materials and methods: After 3 months of metformin, patients were randomized to add pioglitazone 15 mg twice a day or glibenclamide 5 mg twice a day for 6 months, and then rosuvastatin 5 mg was added for other 6 months. Patients underwent an ultrasound examination for evaluation of steatosis degree, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and visceral adipose tissue diameter, an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, and blood sample collection for evaluation of glycemic control, fasting plasma insulin, lipid profile, adipocytokines at randomization, and after 6 and 12 months.
Results: Both pioglitazone and glibenclamide improved glycemic control. Pioglitazone reduced fasting plasma insulin, whereas glibenclamide increased it. Pioglitazone increased the glucose infusion rate compared with glibenclamide. Pioglitazone, but not glibenclamide, improved the lipid profile, and, when rosuvastatin was added, there was a greater improvement with pioglitazone and rosuvastatin. Adiponectin was increased by pioglitazone (+0.5 μg/ml), with a further increase (+0.4 μg/ml) when rosuvastatin was added. A significant decrease in leptin (-3.1 ng/ml) and interleukin-6 (-0.4 pg/ml) was found only with pioglitazone; a similar trend (-2.5 ng/ml and -0.3 pg/ml, respectively) was maintained after the addition of rosuvastatin.Rosuvastatin+pioglitazone decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (-0.3 ng/ml) and were superior to glibenclamide+rosuvastatin in reducing high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (-0.4 mg/l).Pioglitazone decreased ultrasound parameters, and the addition of rosuvastatin further decreased them both compared with randomization and glibenclamide.
Conclusion: Pioglitazone was more effective than glibenclamide in improving inflammation and hepatic steatosis indices.