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Fibrotic remodeling is an essential aspect of heart failure. Human kallistatin (KS, mouse Serpina3c homologs) inhibits fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) but the specific underlying mechanism is unknown. A total of 40 heart failure patients (HFPs) were enrolled and their plasma KS was measured using ELISA. Serpina3c−/− and C57BL/6 mice were used to construct the MI model. TGF-β1 or a hypoxic condition was established to interfere with the functioning of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). RNA-seq was performed to assess the effect of Serpina3c on the transcriptome. The levels of KS were used as a predictor of readmission among the HFPs. Serpina3c expression decreased in MI hearts and CFs. Serpina3c−/− led to the aggravation of MI fibrosis, and increased the proliferation of CFs. The overexpression of Serpina3c in CFs had the opposite effect. Glycolysis-related genes were significantly increased in Serpina3c−/− group by RNA-seq. Enolase (ENO1), which is a key enzyme in glycolysis, increased most significantly. Inhibition of ENO1 could antagonize the promotion of Serpina3c−/− on the proliferation of CFs. Co-IP was performed to verify the interaction between Serpina3c and Nr4a1. Serpina3c−/− inhibited the acetylation of Nr4a1 and increased the degradation of Nr4a1. Activation of Nr4a1 could negatively regulate the expression of ENO1 and inhibited the proliferation of Serpina3c−/− CFs in Serpina3c−/− MI mice. Serpina3c inhibits the transcriptional activation of ENO1 by regulating the acetylation of Nr4a1, thereby reducing the fibrosis after MI by inhibiting glycolysis. Serpina3c is a potential target for prevention and treatment of heart failure after MI. [Display omitted] • KS/Serpina3c was down-regulated after MI. Knockout of Serpina3c led to aggravation of cardiac fibrosis. • KS/Serpina3c inhibited the excessive activation of glycolysis and the proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts. • KS/Serpina3c inhibited the transcription of ENO1, a key enzyme of glycolysis, through Nr4a1 acetylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]