Liraglutide pretreatment attenuates sepsis-induced acute lung injury

In this study, pretreatment with liraglutide, a commonly used diabetes medication and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, attenuated sepsis-induced acute lung injury in a two-hit mouse model (sepsis + hyperoxia). Septic mice who received the drug were less sick, lived longer, and displayed reduced lung inflammation, edema, and injury. These therapeutic effects were not dependent on weight loss. GLP-1 receptor activation may hold promise as a new treatment strategy for sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome.