Diabetes drugs could be used to lower intracranial pressure

There are few therapeutic options for reducing raised intracranial pressure (ICP), in conditions such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension or hydrocephalus.

In a study in Science Translational Medicine (23 August 2017), researchers explored whether glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, which are used to treat diabetes and promote weight loss and are known to modulate fluid balance in the kidney, are also able to modulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion^[1]
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Using tissue samples and cell cultures, they showed that the GLP-1R is expressed in the human and rodent choroid plexus, where CSF is produced, and can be activated by administration of the GLP-1R agonist exendin-4. Exendin-4 also reduced activity of the Na+ K+ ATPase pump, a marker of CSF secretion. Furthermore, exendin-4 administration was able to significantly lower ICP in a rat model of hydrocephalus.

Repurposing existing GLP-1R agonists could provide potential alternative treatment options for lowering ICP and warrants clinical investigation, the researchers concluded.