Fibroblast-specific activation of Rnd3 protects against cardiac remodeling in diabetic cardiomyopathy via suppression of Notch and TGF-β signaling.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, a key pathological feature in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), is triggered by oxidative stress, inflammation, and various metabolic disorders in the heart. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are the primary source of ECM proteins and the ultimate effector cells in ECM remodeling. CFs are turned on and differentiated into myofibroblasts in response to profibrotic signaling.

Sirt6-Mediated Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Contributes Toward Diabetic Cardiomyopathy via the Notch1 Signaling Pathway.

Background: Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is an important source of myofibroblasts that directly affects cardiac function in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) via an unknown underlying mechanism. Sirt6 is a member of the Sirtuin family of NAD(+)-dependent enzymes that plays an important role in glucose and fatty acid metabolism. In this study, we investigated whether Sirt6 participates in EndMT during the development of T2DM and the possible underlying regulatory mechanisms.