Calycosin alleviates myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction by restoring fatty acid metabolism homeostasis through inhibiting FAP

Background

Myocardial fibrosis is a pivotal pathological mechanism underlying heart failure (HF) following myocardial infarction (MI). Natural herbal compounds exhibit great potential for anti-fibrotic applications, thereby warranting further in-depth investigation and development.

Objective

To find the critical gene characteristic of the early myocardial fibrosis following MI and identify the specifically targeted natural herbal compounds.

Methods

Through bioinformatics analysis and molecular phenotypic screening combined with various drug target validation methods, we sought to identify key fibrosis regulatory factors and related targeted natural herbal components. RNA-seq analysis was employed to explore potential downstream mechanisms. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of FAP and Calycosin (CA) on fibrosis and lipid metabolism phenotypes in fibroblasts and cardiac tissues.

Results

RNA-Seq analysis revealed FAP as a core regulator of early post-MI fibrosis. CA, a natural herbal compound, could effectively inhibit FAP, thereby improving post-MI cardiac dysfunction via regulating FAP-mediated myocardial fibrosis. Further investigations demonstrated the pro-fibrotic efficacy of FAP may be closely related to its induction of lipid metabolic disorders. Correcting fatty acid (FA) metabolic disorders could abolish the pro-fibrotic effects of FAP. CA could ameliorate FA metabolic disorders in fibroblasts and cardiac tissues by inhibiting FAP. PPARα may be a downstream target of FAP to induce FA metabolic disorders, and CA could restore cardiac PPARα expression level by inhibiting FAP.

Conclusion

CA could alleviate post-MI myocardial fibrosis through inhibiting FAP, with the underlying mechanism involving the restoration of FA metabolism homeostasis by inhibiting FAP.