AMPKα1 deletion in myofibroblasts exacerbates post-myocardial infarction fibrosis by a connexin 43 mechanism

We have previously demonstrated that systemic AMP-activated protein kinase alpha 1 (AMPK alpha 1) invalidation enhanced adverse LV remodelling by increasing fibroblast proliferation, while myodifferentiation and scar maturation were impaired. We thus hypothesised that fibroblastic AMPK alpha 1 was a key signalling element in regulating fibrosis in the infarcted myocardium and an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. The present study investigates the effects of myofibroblast (MF)-specific deletion of AMPK alpha 1 on left ventricular (LV) adaptation following myocardial infarction (MI), and the underlying molecular mechanisms. MF-restricted AMPK alpha 1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice were subjected to permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. cKO hearts exhibit exacerbated post-MI adverse LV remodelling and are characterised by exaggerated fibrotic response, compared to wild-type (WT) hearts. Cardiac fibroblast proliferation and MF content significantly increase in cKO infarcted hearts, coincident with a significant reduction of connexin 43 (Cx43) expression in MFs. Mechanistically, AMPK alpha 1 influences Cx43 expression by both a transcriptional and a post-transcriptional mechanism involving miR-125b-5p. Collectively, our data demonstrate that MF-AMPK alpha 1 functions as a master regulator of cardiac fibrosis and remodelling and might constitute a novel potential target for pharmacological anti-fibrotic applications.