Cadherin-11 Deficiency Attenuates Ang-II-Induced Atrial Fibrosis and Susceptibility to Atrial Fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrosis serves as a disease initiating mechanism in the development of atrial fibrillation. Angiotensin II (Ang-II), a key mediator for atrial fibrosis, aberrantly activates atrial fibroblasts (AFs) into myofibroblasts, resulting in subsequent excessive synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Cadherin-11 (CDH11) is essential in the development of non-cardiac fibrotic diseases. In this study, we investigated its role in the pathogenesis and underlying mechanism of atrial fibrillation. Methods We obtained left atrial tissues from either patients with atrial fibrillation or Ang-II-induced atrial fibrosis mice. We utilized a global CDH11 knockout mouse (CDH11-/-) model to determine the effect of CDH11 on AF cell proliferation, migration, ECM synthesis/deposition. RNA-Seq of isolated AFs from CDH11-/- or normal mice was performed and differential expressed genes were analyzed. The mouse susceptibility to atrial fibrillation was examined by cardiac electrophysiology. Results We found that cadherin-11 was significantly up-regulated in fibrotic atrial tissue from patients with atrial fibrillation and Ang-II-induced mice. Both normal and CDH11-/- mice did not develop atrial fibrosis at resting state. However, after Ang-II infusion, unlike severe atrial fibrosis occurred in normal mice, CDH11-/- mice displayed a reduced atrial fibrosis. Atrial fibroblasts with CDH11 deletion from CDH11-/- mice showed reduction in Ang-II-induced cell proliferation, migration and ECM synthesis/deposition, indicating the involvement of CDH11 in atrial fibrosis. Consistently, RNA-Seq of CDH11-null AFs uncovered significant decrease in pro-fibrotic gene expression. In addition, we identified reduction of transcripts associated with Smad2/3, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways. Further, CDH11-/- mice showed a significantly attenuated Ang-II-induced susceptibility to atrial fibrillation. Conclusion Our results indicate that CDH11 potentiates Ang-II-induced activation of AFs. The pathogenesis of atrial fibrosis is through CDH11 mediated stimulation of Smad2/3, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways. Thus, CDH11 might serve as a novel therapeutic target for ameliorating the development of atrial fibrillation.