Inhibitory effects of propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate derivatives on atrial fibrosis in atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Atrial fibrosis is the hallmark of structural remodeling in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Meanwhile, AF causes a hypercoagulable state, and then provokes pro-fibrotic response. To discover a potential effective AF treatment targeting both coagulation and atrial fibrosis, this study investigated the structure–activity relationship of propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate (PSS) derivatives with heparin-like activity on TGF-β1-induced atrial fibrosis. We found that PSS derivatives had significantly inhibitory effects on proliferation, migration, phenotypic transformation, and secretion/deposition of extracellular matrix of atrial fibroblasts. Among them, PGGS showed the optimal anti-atrial fibrotic activity by suppressing TGF-β1-induced activation of Smad2/3 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the study in vivo indicated that PGGS treatment displayed a reduced atrial fibrosis and AF inducibility, and attenuated the hypercoagulable state by decreasing D-dimer level and thrombin (FIIa) activity in MHC-TGF-β1 cys33ser transgenic mice, which had increased fibrosis in atrium but not in the ventricles. Our results demonstrated that PSS derivatives, especially PGGS, were potential anti-atrial fibrosis and anti-coagulant agents for AF prevention. Our study is beneficial in extending the current understandings of the function of PSS on atrial fibrosis and vulnerability to AF.