Linderalactone mitigates diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice via suppressing the MAPK/ATF6 pathway

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a challenging diabetic complication that manifests as chronic inflammation. Yet, the mechanism underlying diabetes-associated myocardial injury is not fully understood. We investigated the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of linderalactone, a natural compound that can prevent diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy in mice. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (120 mg/kg, i.p.). Diabetic mice were administrated with linderalactone (2.5 or 5 mg/kg) by gavage for five weeks. Harvested heart tissues were then subjected to RNA-sequencing analysis to explore the potential mechanism of linderalactone. Linderalactone prevented heart dysfunction by inhibiting myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation, without altering blood glucose. RNA-sequencing indicated that linderalactone exerted its cardioprotective effects mainly by affecting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) pathway. Linderalactone also suppressed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediated by the diabetes-activated MAPKs/ATF6 pathway, thereby reducing myocardial hypertrophy and inflammation in heart tissues and in cultured cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of MAPKs or a deficiency of ATF6 in cardiomyocytes mimicked the linderalactone-associated decreases in high glucose-induced hypertrophy and inflammation. Linderalactone showed beneficial effects in alleviating diabetic cardiomyopathy, in part by modulating the MAPK/ATF6 signaling pathway to mitigate myocardial hypertrophy and inflammation. Linderalactone may have clinical utility in the treatment for diabetes-associated cardiomyopathy.