Dissociation of Bcl-2–Beclin1 Complex by Activated AMPK Enhances Cardiac Autophagy and Protects Against Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in Diabetes

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is associated with suppression of cardiac autophagy, and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) restores cardiac autophagy and prevents cardiomyopathy in diabetic mice, albeit by an unknown mechanism. We hypothesized that AMPK-induced autophagy ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis and examined the effects of AMPK on the interaction between Beclin1 and Bcl-2, a switch between...