Dapagliflozin and Sirtuin-1 interaction and mechanism for ameliorating atrial fibrillation in a streptozotocin-induced rodent diabetic model

The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases with age and is particularly high in individuals with diabetes. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), such as dapagliflozin, show promise in treating heart failure (HF) and reducing the risk of AF. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a key enzyme in metabolic regulation, may be influenced by SGLT2i and play a role in the development of AF. This study investigates the relationship between dapagliflozin therapy and atrial tachyarrhythmia in diabetic cardiomyopathy, with a focus on the role of SIRT1. A streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rat model was used to assess AF across four groups: sham, STZ, STZ with dapagliflozin, and STZ with dapagliflozin + sirtinol (a SIRT1 inhibitor). Additionally, HL-1 cardiomyocytes were cultured under high glucose (HG) conditions and treated with dapagliflozin, with or without sirtinol. In the rat model, dapagliflozin improved atrial fibrosis and reduced AF inducibility and duration—effects that were partially reversed by sirtinol. These findings suggest that dapagliflozin may alleviate cardiac fibrosis and atrial arrhythmia by modulating SIRT1. In HL-1 cells under HG conditions, dapagliflozin reduced apoptosis, restored autophagy and mitophagy, and improved calcium channel activity. However, sirtinol negated these protective effects. Dapagliflozin helped normalize autophagy, mitophagy, and calcium handling, while sirtinol diminished its protective effects, highlighting the key role of SIRT1 in regulating calcium handling under HG conditions. Overall, SIRT1 plays a protective role in diabetic cardiomyopathy by reducing apoptosis, regulating autophagy and mitophagy, and modulating calcium channel activity. Dapagliflozin reduces AF duration and inducibility in the STZ model, likely through SIRT1 upregulation and calcium channel modulation.