LncRNA ZNF593-AS alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy via suppressing IRF3 signaling pathway

Diabetes could directly induce cardiac injury, leading to cardiomyopathy. However, treatment strategies for diabetic cardiomyopathy remain limited. ZNF593-AS knockout and cardiomyocyte-specific transgenic mice were constructed. In addition, high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mouse model and db/db mice, another classic diabetic mouse model, were employed. ZNF593-AS was silenced using GapmeR, a modified antisense oligonucleotide, while overexpressed using a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9-mediated gene delivery system. Transcriptome sequencing, RNA pull-down assays, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were also performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. ZNF593-AS expression was decreased in diabetic hearts. ZNF593-AS attenuated the palmitic acid-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in vitro. In HFD-induced diabetic mice, ZNF593-AS deletion aggravated cardiac dysfunction and enhanced cardiac apoptosis and inflammation. In contrast, HFD-induced cardiac dysfunction was improved in ZNF593-AS transgenic mice. Consistently, ZNF593-AS exerted the same cardioprotective effects in db/db mice. Mechanistically, ZNF593-AS directly interacted with the functional domain of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), and suppressed fatty acid-induced phosphorylation and activation of IRF3, contributing to the amelioration of cardiac cell death and inflammation. In conclusion, our results identified the protective role of ZNF593-AS in diabetic cardiomyopathy, suggesting a novel potential therapeutic target.