Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors prevent ponatinib-induced endothelial senescence and disfunction: A potential rescue strategy

Background: Ponatinib (PON), a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has proven cardiovascular toxicity, with no known preventing agents usable to limit such side effect. Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of glucose-lowering agents, featuring favorable cardiac and vascular effects. Aims: We assessed the effects of the SGLT2 inhibitors empagliflozin (EMPA) and dapagliflozin (DAPA) on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and underlying vasculo-protective mechanisms in an in vitro model of PON-induced endothelial toxicity. Methods and results: We exposed HAECs to PON or vehicle (DMSO) in the presence or absence of EMPA (100 and 500 nmol/L) or …