Telmisartan improves the metabolic, hematological and inflammasome indices in non-alcoholic fatty liver infiltration: A pilot open-label placebo-controlled study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the pleotropic effects of telmisartan against the metabolic derangement, and the maturation of the inflammasome (interleukins 1β and 18) that associated with NAFLD. Methods: This open label clinical trial was carried in the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine at University of Sulaimani in cooperation with the Shar Hospital in the Sulaimani-Iraq. A total number of 51 NAFLD patients were recruited and grouped randomly into Group I (n=25) treated with placebo and Group II (n=26) treated with telmisartan (20 mg single oral dose, daily) for 8 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, fasting lipid profile and glucose levels, hematological indices, hepatic-fibrosis assessment, and inflammatory (including interleukins 1β and-18) markers were determined. Results: Telmisartan significantly reduced the waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride-glucose index, and aspartate transaminase enzyme. A significant high value of hepatic fibrosis in Group I patients compared with Group II patients was observed. Telmisartan significantly reduced the inflammasome markers, granulocyte number and without producing a significant effect against platelet count. Conclusions: Short-term therapy with low dose telmisartan can suppresses the maturation of inflammasome manifested by significant low levels of serum IL-1β and IL-18. This effect associated with improvement of the metabolic derangement and decreasing the liver fibrosis in NAFLD.