Background Inflammation and fibrosis play an important role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF) after myocardial infarction (MI). CTRP9 (C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-9) as a secreted glycoprotein can reverse left ventricle remodeling post-MI, but its effects on MI-induced atrial inflammation, fibrosis, and associated AF are unknown. Methods and Results MI model rats received adenoviral supplementation of CTRP9 (Ad-CTRP9) by jugular-vein injection. Cardiac function, inflammatory, and fibrotic indexes and related signaling pathways, electrophysiological properties, and AF inducibility of atria in vivo and ex vivo were detected in 3 or 7 days after MI. shCTRP9 (short hairpin CTRP9) and shRNA were injected into rat and performed similar detection at day 5 or 10. Adverse atrial inflammation and fibrosis, cardiac dysfunction were induced in both MI and Ad-GFP (adenovirus-encoding green fluorescent protein)+MI rats. Systemic CTRP9 treatment improved cardiac dysfunction post-MI. CTRP9 markedly ameliorated macrophage infiltration and attenuated the inflammatory responses by downregulating interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, and upregulating interleukin-10, in 3 days post-MI; depressed left atrial fibrosis by decreasing the expressions of collagen types I and III, α-SMA, and transforming growth factor β1 in 7 days post-MI possibly through depressing the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB and Smad2/3 signaling pathways. Electrophysiologic recordings showed that increased AF inducibility and duration, and prolongation of interatrial conduction time induced by MI were attenuated by CTRP9; moreover, CTRP9 was negatively correlated with interleukin-1β and AF duration. Downregulation of CTRP9 aggravated atrial inflammation, fibrosis, susceptibility of AF and prolonged interatrial conduction time, without affecting cardiac function. Conclusions CTRP9 is effective at attenuating atrial inflammation and fibrosis, possibly via its inhibitory effects on the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB and Smad2/3 signaling pathways, and may be an original upstream therapy for AF in early phase of MI.
Keywords: CTRP9; atrial fibrillation; fibrosis; inflammation; myocardial infarction.