GLUcose Transport and REnalPROtection in Chronic Kidney Disease

This is a single-center, double blind, randomized, parallel-arms study designed to investigate the effects of a six-month treatment with the SGLT2i dapagliflozin on markers of kidney senescence, inflammation and tubulointerstitial damage compared to placebo. These mechanisms of renal damage will be investigated in proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) isolated from urine from patients with CKD with or without T2DM and in renal biopsy specimens in a subgroup of patients with diabetic kidney disease.

In the run-in phase, clinical parameters will be optimized by the use of metformin/repaglinide and or RAAS-I on the basis of the presence/absence of a diagnosis of diabetes. Subsequently, patients will be randomly assigned to start with standard therapy and placebo or dapagliflozin at the dose of 10 mg and will continue the assigned treatment for 24 weeks in double-blind and with dapagliflozin at the dose of 10 mg for an additional 48 weeks in open-label/Extended treatment. Urine samples will be collected at T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4 and used as a source of PTECs in order to study the expression of mediators of senescence, fibrosis and inflammation in the kidney. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, Bio-impedancemetry will be evaluated at T0, and T2 and the assessment of tubular oxygen consumption by MRI with BOLD method will be performed at baseline (T0) and after 12 weeks of treatment (T1). This timeline seems to be more appropriate for investigating chances in functional parameters such as blood pressure behaviour, distribution of body water and tubular oxigen consumption. Based on health claims data published in scientific journals, the treatment extension with Dapaglifozin will be proposed to patients of both arms of the Study at the end of 24 Weeks of treatment (T2) for additional 48 Weeks (T3, T4).