LARP7 Contributes to Glucose-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction, Apoptosis and Fibrosis by Inhibiting the Degradation of STING

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of heart failure in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenesis of DCM and to identify potential therapeutic targets.

Methods: A mouse model of type 1 DCM was constructed by continuous intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Systolic and diastolic functions were measured by ultrasound. The expression of La-related protein 7 (LARP7), the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and light chain 3 (LC3) in myocardial tissue was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. Neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes (NMVCMs) were isolated and cultured. An in vitro type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) model was established by treatment with high glucose. Knockdown/overexpression of LARP7 and STING was achieved by adenovirus transduction, C-176 (a potent covalent inhibitor of STING), and plasmid transfection. The expression, activation, and localization of STING and LARP7 in cardiomyocytes was evaluated, as well as the interaction between the two. The effect of this interaction on the STING-dependent autophagy‒lysosomal pathway was also explored. In addition, the fibrosis and Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were evaluated.

Results: High glucose was found to increase the expression and activation of STING and LARP7 in mouse myocardial tissue. This was accompanied by myocardial fibrosis, impaired Autophagy degradation function and impaired cardiac function. These findings were further confirmed by in vitro experiments. High glucose caused LARP7 to translocate from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it interacted with accumulated STING to inhibit its degradation. Inhibition of STING or LARP7 expression significantly improved myocardial injury induced by high glucose.

Conclusions: Targeted inhibition of LARP7 or STING expression may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of DCM.

LARP7; STING; apoptosis; autophagy; diabetic cardiomyopathy; fibrosis.