Chrysin alleviates acute doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in rats via suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis

Sacubitril/valsartan alleviates sunitinib-induced cardiac fibrosis and oxidative stress via improving TXNIP/TRX system and downregulation of NF-ĸB/Wnt/β-catenin/SOX9 signaling

We aimed in this study to investigate the possible cardioprotective effects of sacubitril/valsartan against sunitinib-induced cardiac fibrosis (CF) and oxidative stress via targeting thioredoxin-interacting protein/thioredoxin (TXNIP/TRX) system and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/Wingless-related MMTV integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin/Sex-determining region Y box 9 (SOX9) signaling. CF was induced in male Wistar albino rats by cumulative dose of sunitinib (300 mg/kg, given over 4 weeks as: 25 mg/kg orally, three times a week), which were co-treated with sacubitril/valsartan (68 mg/kg/day, orally) for four weeks. Significant elevation in blood pressure, cardiac inflammatory and fibrotic markers besides cardiac dysfunction were observed. These alterations were associated with disruption of TXNIP/TRX system, upregulation of NF-κB/Wnt/β-catenin/SOX9 pathway along with marked increase in lysyl oxidase (LOX) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expressions and extensive deposition of collagen fibers in cardiac tissues. Luckily, sacubitril/valsartan was able to reverse all of the aforementioned detrimental effects in sunitinib-administered rats. These findings illustrate a potential role of sacubitril/valsartan in alleviating CF and oxidative stress induced by sunitinib via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. These remarkable effects of sacubitril/valsartan were mediated by its ability to improve TXNIP/TRX system and downregulate NF-κB/Wnt/β-catenin/SOX9 signaling in addition to decreasing LOX and MMP-1 expressions in cardiac tissues. In summary, this study highlights sacubitril/valsartan as a potential therapeutic agent in mitigating CF and oxidative stress especially in cancer cases treated with sunitinib.

Sophorin mitigates flutamide-induced hepatotoxicity in wistar rats

Flutamide is frequently used in the management of prostate cancer, hirsutism, and acne. It is a non-steroidal anti-androgenic drug and causes hepatotoxicity. The current study's objective is to evaluate sophorin's hepatoprotective effectiveness against flutamide-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Sophorin is a citrus flavonoid glycoside, also known as rutin, which is a low molecular weight polyphenolic compound with natural antioxidant properties and reported to have promising hepatoprotective efficacy. In this study, sophorin was used at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight in purified water via oral route for 4 week daily whereas, flutamide was used at a dose of 100 mg kg/b.wt for 4 weeks daily in 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) through the oral route for the induction of hepatotoxicity. Flutamide administration leads to enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, an imbalance in redox homeostasis and peroxidation of lipid resulted in reduced natural antioxidant level in liver tissue. Our result demonstrated that sophorin significantly abrogate flutamide induced lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl (PC), and also significantly increasesed in enzymatic activity/level of tissue natural antioxidant such as reduced glutathione(GSH), glutathione reductase(GR), catalase, and superoxide dismutase(SOD). Additionally, sophorin reduced the activity of cytochrome P450 3A1 in liver tissue which was elevated due to flutamide treatment. Furthermore, sophorin treatment significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) level. Immunohistochemical analysis for the expression of inflammatory proteins (iNOS and COX-2) in hepatic tissue was decreased after sophorin treatment against flutamide-induced hepatotoxicity. Moreover, sophorin suppressed the infiltration of mast cells in liver tissue which further showed anti-inflammatory potential of sophorin. Our histological investigation further demonstrated sophorin's hepatoprotective function by restoring the typical histology of the liver. Based on the aforementioned information, we are able to come to the conclusion that sophorin supplementation might benefit wistar rats with flutamide-induced hepatic damage by reducing oxidative stress and hepatocellular inflammation.

Sex-related differences in delayed doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction in C57BL/6 mice

Cancer survivors may experience long-term cardiovascular complications due to chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX). The exact mechanism of delayed DOX-induced cardiotoxicity has not been fully elucidated. Sex is an important risk factor for DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. In the current study, we identified sex differences in delayed DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and determined the underlying molecular determinants of the observed sexual dimorphism. Five-week-old male and female mice were administered intraperitoneal injections of DOX (4 mg/kg/week) or saline for 6 weeks. Echocardiography was performed 5 weeks after the last dose of DOX to evaluate cardiac function. Thereafter, mice were sacrificed and gene expression of markers of apoptosis, senescence, and inflammation was measured by PCR in hearts and livers. Proteomic profiling of the heart from both sexes was conducted to determine differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Only DOX-treated male, but not female, mice demonstrated cardiac dysfunction, cardiac atrophy, and upregulated cardiac expression of Nppb and Myh7. No sex-related differences were observed in DOX-induced expression of most apoptotic, senescence, and pro-inflammatory markers. However, the gene expression of Trp53 was significantly reduced in hearts of DOX-treated female mice only. The anti-inflammatory marker Il-10 was significantly reduced in hearts of DOX-treated male mice only, while the pro-inflammatory marker Il-1α was significantly reduced in livers of DOX-treated female mice only. Gene expression of Tnf-α was reduced in hearts of both DOX-treated male and female mice. Proteomic analysis identified several DEPs after DOX treatment in a sex-specific manner, including anti-inflammatory acute phase proteins. This is the first study to assess sex-specific proteomic changes in a mouse model of delayed DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Our proteomic analysis identified several sexually dimorphic DEPs, many of which are associated with the anti-inflammatory marker Il-10.

Exploring the effects of calycosin on anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: a network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental study

Background

Chemotherapy with anthracyclines can cause cardiotoxicity, possibly leading to stopping treatment in some cancer patients. In cardio-oncology research, preventing and minimizing anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) is a hot issue. For the treatment of AIC, calycosin (CA), an isoflavone component in astragali radix (AR), has become a research focus. However, the elaborate mechanisms of calycosin treating AIC remain to be unrevealed.

Aim of the study

To explore the effects of CA on AIC through multiple dimensions concerning network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental evaluations.

Methods

The study evaluated calycosin's potential targets and mechanisms for treating AIC using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The candidate genes/targets of CA and AIC were screened using the online-available database. Protein-protein interactions (PPI) between the common targets were constructed using the STRING platform, and the results were then visualized using Cytoscape. Molecular docking was used to evaluate the strength of the binding force between CA and the common targets. The possible pharmacological mechanisms of CA were explained by pathway enrichment and GSEA. Subsequently, the candidate targets were identified in vitro experiments.

Results

Network pharmacology effectively discovered the CA's multitarget intervention in AIC, including TNF, ABCC1, TOP2A, ABCB1, and XDH. CA binds to the ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1(ABCB1) had the highest binding energy (-7.5 kcal/mol) according to the molecular docking analysis and was selected and visualized for subsequent analysis. In vitro experiments showed that ABCB1 exhibited significant time-curve changes under different doses of doxorubicin (DOX) compared with DMSO control experiments. The anti-AIC pharmacological mechanism of CA were revealed by highlighting the biological processes of oxidative stress (OR) and inflammation.

Conclusions

We employed a practicable bioinformatics method to connect network and molecular docking to determine the calycosin's therapeutic mechanism against AIC and identified some bioinformatics results in in vitro experiments. The results presented show that CA may represent an encouraging treatment for AIC.

Self-Nanoemulsion Intrigues the Gold Phytopharmaceutical Chrysin: In Vitro Assessment and Intrinsic Analgesic Effect

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid with a wide range of bioactivities. Only a few investigations have assessed the analgesic activity of chrysin. The lipophilicity of chrysin reduces its aqueous solubility and bioavailability. Hence, self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) were designed to overcome this problem. Kollisolv GTA, Tween 80, and Transcutol HP were selected as oil, surfactant, and cosurfactant, respectively. SNEDDS A, B, and C were prepared, loaded with chrysin (0.1%w/w), and extensively evaluated. The optimized formula (B) encompasses 25% Kollisolv GTA, 18.75% Tween 80, and 56.25% Transcutol HP was further assessed. TEM, in vitro release, and biocompatibility towards the normal oral epithelial cell line (OEC) were estimated. Brain targeting and acetic acid-induced writhing in a mouse model were studied. After testing several adsorbents, powdered SNEDDS B was formulated and evaluated. The surfactant/cosurfactant (S/CoS) ratio of 1:3 w/w was appropriate for the preparation of SNEDDS. Formula B exhibited instant self-emulsification, spherical nanoscaled droplets of 155.4 ± 32.02 nm, and a zeta potential of - 12.5 ± 3.40 mV. The in vitro release proved the superiority of formula B over chrysin suspension (56.16 ± 10.23 and 9.26 ± 1.67%, respectively). The biocompatibility of formula B towards OEC was duplicated (5.69 ± 0.03 µg/mL). The nociceptive pain was mitigated by formula B more efficiently than chrysin suspension as the writhing numbers reduced from 8.33 ± 0.96 to 0 after 60 min of oral administration. Aerosil R972 was selected as an adsorbent, and its chemical compatibility was confirmed. In conclusion, our findings prove the therapeutic efficacy of chrysin self-nanoemulsion as a potential targeting platform to combat pain.

Exercise Inhibits Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity via Regulating B Cells

BACKGROUND

Doxorubicin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, but its use is limited by acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. Exercise training has been shown to protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, but the involvement of immune cells remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of exercise-derived B cells in protecting against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and to further determine whether B cell activation and antibody secretion play a role in this protection.

METHODS

Mice that were administered with doxorubicin (5 mg/kg per week, 20 mg/kg cumulative dose) received treadmill running exercise. The adoptive transfer of exercise-derived splenic B cells to μMT-/- (B cell-deficient) mice was performed to elucidate the mechanism of B cell regulation that mediated the effect of exercise.

RESULTS

Doxorubicin-administered mice that had undergone exercise training showed improved cardiac function, and low levels of cardiac apoptosis, atrophy, and fibrosis, and had reduced cardiac antibody deposition and proinflammatory responses. Similarly, B cell pharmacological and genetic depletion alleviated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, which phenocopied the protection of exercise. In vitro performed coculture experiments confirmed that exercise-derived B cells reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and fibroblast activation compared with control B cells. Importantly, the protective effect of exercise on B cells was confirmed by the adoptive transfer of splenic B cells from exercised donor mice to μMT-/- recipient mice. However, blockage of Fc gamma receptor IIB function using B cell transplants from exercised Fc gamma receptor IIB-/- mice abolished the protection of exercise-derived B cells against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Mechanistically, we found that Fc gamma receptor IIB, an important B cell inhibitory receptor, responded to exercise and increased B cell activation threshold, which participated in exercise-induced protection against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that exercise training protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating Fc gamma receptor IIB expression in B cells, which plays an important anti-inflammatory role and participates in the protective effect of exercise against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

The role of inflammation and antioxidant defenses in the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin in elderly CD-1 male mice

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic agent used against several cancer types. However, due to its cardiotoxic adverse effects, the use of this drug may be also life-threatening. Although most cancer patients are elderly, they are poorly represented and evaluated in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Considering this, the present work aims to evaluate inflammation and oxidative stress as the main mechanisms of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, in an innovative approach using an experimental model constituted of elderly animals treated with a clinically relevant human cumulative dose of DOX. Elderly (18-20 months) CD-1 male mice received biweekly DOX administrations, for 3 weeks, to reach a cumulative dose of 9.0 mg/kg. One week (1W) or two months (2 M) after the last DOX administration, the heart was collected to determine both drug's short and longer cardiac adverse effects. The obtained results showed that DOX causes cardiac histological damage and fibrosis at both time points. In the 1W-DOX group, the number of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 immunopositive cells increased and a trend toward increased NF-κB p65 expression was seen. An increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin (IL)-33 and a trend toward increased IL-6 and B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X (Bax) expression were seen after DOX. In the same group, a decrease in IL-1β, p62, and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-I, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression was observed. Contrariwise, the animals sacrificed 2 M after DOX showed a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase 1 and Bax expression with persistent cardiac damage and fibrosis, while carbonylated proteins, erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), NF-κB p65, myeloperoxidase, LC3-I, and LC3-II expression decreased. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that in an elderly mouse population, DOX induces cardiac inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis in the heart in the short term. When kept for a longer period, oxidative-stress-linked pathways remained altered, as well as autophagy markers and tissue damage after DOX treatment, emphasizing the need for continuous post-treatment cardiac monitoring.

Apoptosis and long non-coding RNAs: Focus on their roles in Heart diseases

Heart disease is one of the principal death reasons around the world and there is a growing requirement to discover novel healing targets that have the potential to avert or manage these illnesses. On the other hand, apoptosis is a strongly controlled, cell removal procedure that has a crucial part in numerous cardiac problems, such as reperfusion injury, MI (myocardial infarction), consecutive heart failure, and inflammation of myocardium. Completely comprehending the managing procedures of cell death signaling is critical as it is the primary factor that influences patient mortality and morbidity, owing to cardiomyocyte damage. Indeed, the prevention of heart cell death appears to be a viable treatment approach for heart illnesses. According to current researches, a number of long non-coding RNAs cause the heart cells death via different methods that are embroiled in controlling the activity of transcription elements, the pathways that signals transmission within cells, small miRNAs, and the constancy of proteins. When there is too much cell death in the heart, it can cause problems like reduced blood flow, heart damage after restoring blood flow, heart disease in diabetics, and changes in the heart after reduced blood flow. Therefore, studying how lncRNAs control apoptosis could help us find new treatments for heart diseases. In this review, we present recent discoveries about how lncRNAs are involved in causing cell death in different cardiovascular diseases.

Chrysin attenuates paclitaxel-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats by suppressing oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis

AIMS

Paclitaxel (Pax) is a chemotherapeutic drug from the taxane family that is used in the treatment of human cancer, including ovarian, breast, and non-small cell lung carcinoma. Chrysin (CR) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-diabetic, and anti-carcinogenic properties, as well as hepatoprotective and renoprotective activities. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of CR against Pax-induced hepatorenal toxicity on inflammation, apoptosis, antioxidant levels, oxidative DNA damage, and histopathology in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n = 7): Group I (normal control), Group II (CR alone at a dose of 50 mg/kg), Group III (Pax at a dose of 2 mg/kg), Group IV (Pax+CR 25), and Group V (Pax+CR 50). The expressions of apoptotic (Bax and Bcl-2) and antioxidant genes (SOD1, CAT, GPx3, and GST) were evaluated using RT-PCR from paraffin sections. Caspase 3, KIM-1, NF-kB, COX-2, and 8-OHdG were also determined by immunohistochemical examination.

KEY FINDINGS

The results revealed that Pax exposure caused hepatic and renal damage in rats, which was indicated by a significant elevation of caspase 3, Bax, KIM-1, NF-kB, COX-2, and 8-OHdG. However, there was a marked downregulation in the expressions of the Bcl-2, SOD1, CAT, GPx3, and GST genes. In contrast, rats given CR in combination showed better gene expression, histological structure, and immunohistochemical staining results.

SIGNIFICANCE

Consequently, CR exhibited the ability to reduce oxidative DNA damage, exert anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties, and mitigate the toxic effects of Pax-induced hepatorenal toxicity.

Effects of chrysin in cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in the rat; role of multi-pathway regulation

BACKGROUND

Cadmium (Cd) is a strong toxic agent and causes serious damage to testicular tissues. Chrysin (CHR) is a natural flavonoid with many effective properties, especially antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. The current study describes new evidence for the ameliorative effects of CHR on oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy and inflammation pathways in Cd-induced testicular tissue toxicity.

METHODS

Thirty-five male Wistar rats were divided into five groups, control, Cd, CHR, Cd + CHR25, and Cd + CHR50. Cd was administered alone at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight or in combination with CHR 25 mg/kg and CHR 50 mg/kg for 7 days. Cd and CHR were administered orally. Biochemical, molecular, and histological methods were used to investigate inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidant pathways in testicular tissue.

RESULTS

Cd increased lipid peroxidation, JAK-2/STAT-3 levels, inflammation-related NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS levels, AKT-2, FOXO1, Bax, Apaf-1 and Caspase-3 levels, autophagic Beclin-1, LC3A and LC3B. The Cd also caused a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and GSH levels, antiapoptotic Bcl-2 levels. CHR, on the other hand, had the opposite effect of all these Cd-induced changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the data of this study indicate that testicular damage associated with Cd toxicity could be ameliorated by CHR administration.

Boesenbergia rotunda displayed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic efficacy in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats

This study evaluated the cardioprotective properties of Boesenbergia rotunda extract (BrE) against doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity. Rats received oral gavage of BrE for 28 days and DOX (5 mg/kg/week for 3 weeks). Thereafter the animals were sacrificed, blood and cardiac samples were collected for biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The results indicated that BrE attenuated DOX triggered body and cardiac weight loss and prevented against cardiac injury by mitigating histopathological alterations in cardiac tissues as well as serum cardiac function enzymes. BrE significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), troponin T (TnT) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) in DOX-treated rats. Furthermore, BrE alleviated cardiotoxicity by reducing DOX instigated oxidative stress and potentiating the level of glutathione, as well as the activities superoxide dismutase and catalase in cardiac tissues. In addition, BrE significantly decreased the characteristic indices of DOX-induced cardiac inflammation and apoptosis. Immuno-histochemical analysis revealed that BrE decreased the stain intensity of p53 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) proteins compared to the DXB alone group. In conclusion, our results indicated that BrE modulated oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis to attenuate DOX-induced cardiac damage.

Ceratonia siliqua pods (Carob) methanol extract alleviates doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxicity via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic pathways in rats

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anti-neoplastic therapy, but its use is limited by its deleterious toxic effects including nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. This work aimed at assessing the potential protective effect of Ceratonia siliqua methanol extract (CME) on DOX-induced nephrotoxicity in 5 groups of Wistar rats. Nephrotoxicity was induced experimentally by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of DOX (15 mg/kg). DOX increased serum creatinine, urea, sodium, and potassium levels. It elevated MDA levels in the renal tissue but decreased the concentration of GSH and the activity of GST, CAT, and SOD. Meanwhile, it decreased the level of immunomodulatory anti-inflammatory mediators: IL-10 and TGF-β, as well as the activity of MPO but increased the level of IL-6, TNF-α, and caspase-3 in the renal tissue. DOX has upregulated COX-2, caspase-9, and Bax gene expression and downregulated the Bcl-2 gene expression. Immunolabeling of renal tubular epithelium in DOX-intoxicated rats was moderate to strong against Bax, COX-2, and NF-kβ and weak against Bcl-2. Treatment with CME significantly restored the levels of kidney function parameters and the levels of oxidative stress markers. It stimulated the production of IL-10 and TGF-β and decreased the level of IL-6 and TNF-α. CME reverted the gene expression of COX-2, caspase-9, and Bax. Microscopically, CME alleviated the DOX-induced renal damage. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of 26 compounds in the CME. No signs of acute toxicity were recorded by CME up to 4000 mg/kg b. wt. orally into mice. Finally, CME could effectively alleviate the deleterious effects of DOX on the kidney. The safety of carob extract encourages its use in the preparation of valuable therapeutic agents.

Vernonia amygdalina Ethanol Extract Protects against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity via TGFβ, Cytochrome c, and Apoptosis

Doxorubicin (DOX) has been extensively utilized in cancer treatment. However, DOX administration has adverse effects, such as cardiac injury. This study intends to analyze the expression of TGF, cytochrome c, and apoptosis on the cardiac histology of rats induced with doxorubicin, since the prevalence of cardiotoxicity remains an unpreventable problem due to a lack of understanding of the mechanism underlying the cardiotoxicity result. Vernonia amygdalina ethanol extract (VAEE) was produced by soaking dried Vernonia amygdalina leaves in ethanol. Rats were randomly divided into seven groups: K- (only given doxorubicin 15 mg/kgbw), KN (water saline), P100, P200, P400, P4600, and P800 (DOX 15 mg/kgbw + 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kgbw extract); at the end of the study, rats were scarified, and blood was taken directly from the heart; the heart was then removed. TGF, cytochrome c, and apoptosis were stained using immunohistochemistry, whereas SOD, MDA, and GR concentration were evaluated using an ELISA kit. In conclusion, ethanol extract might protect the cardiotoxicity produced by doxorubicin by significantly reducing the expression of TGF, cytochrome c, and apoptosis in P600 and P800 compared to untreated control K- (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that Vernonia amygdalina may protect cardiac rats by reducing the apoptosis, TGF, and cytochrome c expression while not producing the doxorubicinol as doxorubicin metabolite. In the future, Vernonia amygdalina could be used as herbal preventive therapy for patient administered doxorubicin to reduce the incidence of cardiotoxicity.

Beneficial effects of Chrysin on Cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: Modulating the levels of Nrf2/HO-1, RAGE/NLRP3, and Caspase-3/Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathways

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that targets the kidney directly in the body. Chrysin (CHR) is a natural flavonoid with many properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic. The current study discloses new evidence as regards of the curative effects of CHR on Cd-induced nephrotoxicity by regulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation. Cd was administered orally at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight alone or in combination with orally administered CHR (25 and 50 mg/kg body weight) for 7 days. Biochemical, molecular, and histological methods were used to investigate inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidant pathways in renal tissue. Renal function tests were also evaluated. Cd caused an increase in serum toxicity markers, lipid peroxidation and a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Nrf-2 triggered inflammatory responses by suppressing HO-1 and NQO1 mRNA transcripts and increasing NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β and iNOS mRNA transcripts. Cd caused inflammasome by increasing RAGE and NLRP3 mRNA transcripts. In addition, Cd application caused apoptosis by increasing Bax, Apaf-1 and Caspase-3 mRNA transcripts and decreasing Bcl-2 mRNA transcript level. It caused autophagy by increasing the activity of Beclin-1 level. CHR treatment had the opposite effect on all these values and reduced the damage caused by all these signal pathways. Overall, the data of this study indicate that renal damage associated with Cd toxicity could be ameliorated by CHR administration.

Inflammaging in domestic dogs: basal level concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in serum of healthy dogs of different body sizes and ages

Inflammaging, a "hallmark of aging," refers to a chronic, progressive increase in the proinflammatory status of mammals as they age, and this phenotype has been associated with many age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis and cancer. Though, inflammaging research is common in humans, there is a lack of data for this process for the domestic dog. Here, serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in healthy dogs of different body sizes and ages were measured to determine whether inflammaging may play a mechanistic role in aging rates in dogs, similar to those found in humans. Using a four-way ANOVA, a significant decrease in IL-6 concentrations in young dogs with the rest of the age categories showing increased IL-6 concentrations was found, similar to humans. However, only young dogs have decreased IL-6 concentrations, with adult dogs having similar IL-6 concentrations to senior and geriatric dogs, implying differences in aging rates between humans and dogs. And, there was a marginally significant interaction between sex*spayed or neutered status and IL-1β concentrations with intact females having the lowest IL-1β concentrations compared with intact males, and spayed and neutered dogs. The presence of estrogen in intact females may, overall, decrease inflammatory pathways. This implies that age at spaying or neutering may be an important aspect to consider for inflammaging pathways in dogs. Furthermore, sterilized dogs often die of immune-related diseases, which could be linked to the increases in IL-1β in sterilized dogs found in this study.

The protective effects of baicalin and chrysin against emamectin benzoate-induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of baicalin, chrysin and their combinations against emamectin benzoate-induced toxicity in rats. For this purpose, sixty four rats were divided into evenly 8 groups with 6-8-week-old male Wistar albino rats, weighing 180-250 g, in each group. While the first group was kept as a control (corn oil), the remaining 7 groups were administered with emamectin benzoate (10 mg/kg bw), baicalin (50 mg/kg bw) and chrysin (50 mg/kg bw) alone or together for 28 days. Oxidative stress parameters, serum biochemical parameters and blood/tissue (liver, kidney, brain, testis and heart) and tissue histopathology were investigated. Compared to the control group, the emamectin benzoate-intoxicated rats had significantly higher tissue/plasma concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as lower tissue glutathione (GSH) concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione peroxidase/GSH-Px, glutathione reductase/GR, glutathione-S-transferase/GST, superoxide dismutase/SOD, catalase/CAT). Biochemical analysis showed that emamectin benzoate administration significantly increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, as well as triglyceride, cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid and urea levels, and decreased serum total protein and albumin levels. The histopathological examination of the liver, kidney, brain, heart and testis tissues of the emamectin benzoate-intoxicated rats demonstrated necrotic changes. Baicalin and/or chrysin reversed the biochemical and histopathological alterations induced by emamectin benzoate on these tested organs. Therefore, baicalin and chrysin (alone or in combination) could offer protection against emamectin benzoate-induced toxicity.

“Drying effect” of fructus aurantii components and the mechanism of action based on network pharmacology and in vitro pharmacodynamic validation

Background: Fructus aurantii (FA) is the dried, unripe fruit of the plant Citrus aurantium L. and its cultivated varieties. We investigated the drying effect of FA components and how this drying affect is achieved.

Methods: We employed systems pharmacology to predict the components and targets of FA that produce its drying effect. These predictions were verified by computer simulation and animal experiments. In the latter, we measured the bodyweight, water consumption, urine output, fecal water content, rate of salivary secretion, and cross-sectional area of the long axis of the submandibular gland of mice. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure expression of aquaporin (AQP)5 in the submandibular gland, AQP2 in the kidney, and AQP3 in the colon. ELISA kits were used to measure the horizontal variation of cyclic adenosine monsophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and interferon-γ.

Results: Sixty-seven potentially active components of FA were screened out. FA could produce a drying effect after regulating 214 targets through 66 active components. A total of 870 gene ontology (GO) terms and 153 signaling pathways were identified. The hypoxia inducible factor-1 signaling pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and Ras signaling pathway may have important roles in the drying effect of FA. Four components of FA were identified: sinensetin, tangeretin, 5-demethylnobiletin and chrysin. These four components could increase the serum level of interferon-γ and ratio of cyclic adenosine monophosphate:cyclic guanosine monophosphate in mice, and affect their water consumption, urine output, fecal water content and rate of salivary secretion.

Conclusion: Four components of FA (tangeretin, sinensetin, chrysin, 5-Demethylmobiletin) were closely related to the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (JAK-STAT3), PI3K-AKT, and the other signaling pathways. They can regulate the protein expression of JAK2, STAT3, PI3K, lymphocyte cell-specific protein-tyrosine kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and protein kinase B1, affect water metabolism in the body and, finally, result in a drying effect.

Natural bioactive compounds-doxorubicin combinations targeting topoisomerase II-alpha: Anticancer efficacy and safety

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, so pursuing effective and safe therapeutics for cancer is a key research objective nowadays. Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the commonly prescribed chemotherapeutic agents that has been used to treat cancer with its antimitotic properties via inhibition of topoisomerase II (TOP2) activity. However, many problems hinder the broad use of DOX in clinical practice, including cardiotoxicity and drug resistance. Research in drug discovery has confirmed that natural bioactive compounds (NBACs) display a wide range of biological activities correlating to anticancer outcomes. The combination of NBACs has been seen to be an ideal candidate that might increase the effectiveness of DOX therapy and decreases its unfavorable adverse consequences. The current review discusses the chemo-modulatory mechanism and the protective effects of combined DOX with NBACs with a binding affinity (pKi) toward TOP2A more than pKi of DOX. This review will also discuss and emphasize the molecular mechanisms to provide a pathway for further studies to reveal other signaling pathways. Taken together, understanding the fundamental mechanisms and implications of combined therapy may provide a practical approach to battling cancer diseases.

Protective effect of quercetin against 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiac impairments through activating Nrf2 and inhibiting NF-κB and caspase-3 activities

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapy used to treat many types of cancer. Cardiotoxicity is one of the common drawbacks of 5-FU therapy. Quercetin (Qu) is a bioflavonoid with striking biological activities. This research aimed to assess the ameliorative effect of Qu against 5-FU-mediated cardiotoxicity. Thirty-five rats were allocated into five groups: control group (normal saline), 5-FU group (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), Qu group (50 mg/kg, oral), 25 mg/kg Qu+5-FU group, and 50 mg/kg Qu+5-FU. The experimental animals were received the above-mentioned drugs for 21 days. Results showed that 5-FU significantly elevated creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, serum cholesterol and triglyceride, and upregulated troponin and renin mRNA expression. Additionally, cardiac oxidant/antioxidant imbalance was evident in elevated oxidants (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide) and depleted antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione). 5-FU also downregulated the gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. Furthermore, 5-FU significantly increased cardiac pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta) and upregulated gene expression of nuclear factor kappa-B. 5-FU significantly enhanced cardiac apoptosis through upregulating caspase-3 expression and downregulating B-cell lymphoma 2. Immunohistochemical and histopathological examinations verified the above-mentioned findings. However, all these changes were significantly ameliorated in Qu pre-administered rats. Conclusively, Qu counteracted 5-FU-mediated cardiotoxicity through potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects.

Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Neuroprotective Effects of Polyphenols-Polyphenols as an Element of Diet Therapy in Depressive Disorders

Depressive disorders can affect up to 350 million people worldwide, and in developed countries, the percentage of patients with depressive disorders may be as high as 10%. During depression, activation of pro-inflammatory pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased markers of oxidative stress, and a reduction in the antioxidant effectiveness of the body are observed. It is estimated that approximately 30% of depressed patients do not respond to traditional pharmacological treatments. However, more and more attention is being paid to the influence of active ingredients in food on the course and risk of neurological disorders, including depression. The possibility of using foods containing polyphenols as an element of diet therapy in depression was analyzed in the review. The possibility of whether the consumption of products such as polyphenols could alleviate the course of depression or prevent the progression of it was also considered. Results from preclinical studies demonstrate the potential of phenolic compounds have the potential to reduce depressive behaviors by regulating factors related to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and modulation of the intestinal microbiota.

Ceratonia siliqua pods (Carob) methanol extract alleviates doxorubicin – induced nephrotoxicity via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic pathways.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2217042/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective antitumor therapy but its use is limited by its deleterious toxic effects including nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. The aim of this work was to assess the potential protective effect of Ceratonia siliqua methanol extract (CME) on DOX-induced nephrotoxicity in 5 groups of rats. Rats in groups 1and 2 were given normal saline while groups 3–5 were given Vitamin C (reference antioxidant, 250mg/kg), CME (500mg/kg) and CME (1000 mg/kg) for 5 days. On the 5th day, 1 hour after the last treatment dose, rats of groups 2–5 were given DOX in a dose of 15 mg/kg IP. DOX increased serum creatinine, urea, sodium and potassium and decreased GSH concentration, GST, CAT, SOD and MPO activities but increased MDA. It increased the inflammatory mediators (COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κβ) but decreased the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) and the Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). DOX has up-regulated COX-2, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax and NF- κβ transcripts and down-regulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 as assessed by immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis. CME significantly improved the levels of kidney function parameters and restored the levels of the oxidative stress markers. It also decreased the level of COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κβ and stimulated the production of IL-10 and TGF-β. CME down-regulated the expression levels of the Bax, Cox-2 and caspases and up-regulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Microscopically, CME alleviated the DOX-induced renal damage in dose dependent manner. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of 26 compounds among which 4 major compounds (over 5%) in the CME. Acute toxicity test revealed that CME is not toxic up to 5 g/kg orally into rats. In conclusion, CME could effectively alleviate the deleterious effects of DOX on the kidney. The safety of carob extract encourages its use in the preparation of valuable therapeutic agents.

Suppression of cisplatin-induced ovarian injury in rats by chrysin: an experimental study

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy of chrysin (CHS) against ovotoxicity caused by intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin (CDDP) in rats. In this experimental study, 24 female rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, CHS (2 mg/kg), CDDP (5 mg/kg) and CDDP (5 mg/kg) + CHS (2 mg/kg). The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were determined in the ovarian tissues using spectrophotometric methods. In addition, the ovarian samples were evaluated histopathologically by hematoxylin&eosin staining. The results revealed that the levels of MDA, TOS, IL-6 and MPO significantly increased by CDDP administration compared with control group (p < 0.05). Also, it was found that CDDP significantly decreased TAS and SOD levels (p < 0.05). CHS ameliorated CDDP-induced the increased levels of MDA, TOS, IL-6, MPO and increased the levels of TAS and SOD significantly (p < 0.05). Histological findings also supported the therapeutic effect of CHS against CDDP-induced ovarian damage parameters. In conclusion, our results showed that CHS exhibits a therapeutic effect against CDDP-induced ovotoxicity and therefore the use of CHS after chemotherapy may improve the side effets of CDDP. IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known about this subject? Cisplatin (CDDP) is an effective and widely used chemotherapeutic agent to treat various malignancies, but its therapeutic use is limited due to dose-related tissue toxicity. Chrysin (CHS), a natural flavone, exhibits various beneficial activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. There are increasing evidences in the literature that CHS reduces the toxicity of various chemotherapeutic agents, such as CDDP, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, in colon, kidney and liver tissues through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.What do the results of this study add? This study demonstrated that CHS can abolish CDDP-induced in vivo ovarian injury by decreasing MDA, TOS, IL-6 and MPO levels and increasing SOD and TAS levels through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study revealed the therapeutic potential of CHS against CDDP-induced acute ovotoxicity, for the first time. Further pre-clinical studies are necessary to prove the beneficial effect of CHS on the prevention of CDDP-induced ovarian toxicity.

Chemopreventive effects of hesperidin against paclitaxel-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity via amendment of Nrf2/HO-1 and caspase-3/Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathways

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug particularly effective against lung, breast, and ovarian cancer, though its usefulness is limited due to its multi-organ toxicity. The mechanisms underlying PTX toxicity are currently not yet known and there are no approved treatments for its control or prevention. This study aimed to investigate whether hesperidin (HSP) had a protective effect on paclitaxel-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity from biochemical, and molecular perspectives. The rats were administered PTX 2 mg/kg, b.w. intraperitoneally for the first 5 consecutive days, then 100 or 200 mg/kg b.w. HSP orally for 10 consecutive days. Our results demonstrated that HSP decreased the PTX induced lipid peroxidation, improved the serum hepatic and renal functions (by decreasing the levels of AST, ALT, ALP, urea, and creatinine), and restored the liver and kidney antioxidant armory (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH). HSP also significantly reduced mRNA expression levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, MAPK 14, Caspase-3, Bax, LC3A, LC3B, MMP2, and MMP9 whereas caused an increase in levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and Bcl-2 in the kidney and liver of PTX-induced rats. In addition, caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 protein levels were examined by Western blot analysis, and it was determined that HSP decreased caspase-3 and Bax protein levels, but increased Bcl-2 protein levels. The findings of the study suggest that HSP has chemopreventive potential against PTX-induced hepatorenal toxicity plausibly through the attenuation of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Danhong injection attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats via suppression of apoptosis: network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic agent that is used against various types of human malignancies. However, the associated risk of cardiotoxicity has limited its clinical application. Danhong injection (DHI) is a Chinese medicine with multiple pharmacological activities and is widely used for treating cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential protective effect of DHI on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and to investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. First, a sensitive and reliable HPLC−ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS method was developed to comprehensively analyze the chemical compositions of DHI. A total of 56 compounds were identified, including phenolic acids, tanshinones, and flavonoids. Then, a DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity rat model was established to assess the therapeutic effect of DHI. As a result, DHI administration prevented the reduction in body weight and heart weight, and improved electrocardiogram performance. Additionally, the elevated levels of serum biochemical indicators were reduced, and the activities of oxidative enzymes were restored in the DOX-DHI group. Network pharmacology analysis further revealed that these effects might be attributed to 14 active compounds (e.g., danshensu, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, rosmarinic acid, and tanshinone IIA) and 15 potential targets (e.g., CASP3, SOD1, NOS3, TNF, and TOP2A). The apoptosis pathway was highly enriched according to the KEGG analysis. Molecular docking verified the good binding affinities between the active compounds and the corresponding apoptosis targets. Finally, experimental validation demonstrated that DHI treatment significantly increased the Bcl-2 level and suppressed DOX-induced Bax and caspase-3 expression in rat heart tissue. Furthermore, DHI treatment obviously decreased the apoptosis rate of DOX-treated H9c2 cells. These results indicate that DHI attenuated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via regulating the apoptosis pathway. The present study suggested that DHI is a promising agent for the prevention of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

The Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Flavonoids from Propolis via Nrf2 and NF-κB Pathways

Accumulating evidence shows that oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that propolis possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the main flavonoids of propolis (chrysin, pinocembrin, galangin, and pinobanksin) and propolis extract were researched. The results showed that the cellular ROS (Reactive oxygen species) levels, antioxidant enzymes, Nrf2 (Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) nuclear translocation, and the expression of NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1) and HO-1 (heme oxygenase 1) were regulated by different concentrations of individual flavonoids and propolis extract, which showed good antioxidant and pro-oxidant effects. For example, ROS levels were decreased; SOD and CAT activities were increased; and the expression of HO-1 protein was increased by chrysin. The results demonstrated that NO (Nitric Oxide), NOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase), and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by different concentrations of individual flavonoids and propolis extract. Moreover, the results revealed that the phytochemicals presented antioxidant effects at lower concentrations but pro-oxidant effects and stronger anti-inflammatory effects at higher concentrations. To maintain the balance of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, it is possible that phytochemicals activate the Nrf2 pathway and inhibited the NF-κB (Nuclear factor kappa B) pathway.

Chrysin attenuates estradiol-induced endometrial hyperplasia in rats via enhancing PPARα activity

Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is a complex condition that commonly affects women after menopause. Since the current available treatments for EH are mainly invasive, there is a need for developing new treatment modalities. Chrysin (Ch) is a dihydroxyflavone with numerous promising therapeutic potentials. In this study, Ch's protective effects on estradiol (E2)-induced EH were studied in rats. Animals were allocated randomly to five groups and were treated for 4 weeks as follows: Group 1, control: received the vehicle; group 2, Ch: received Ch 25 mg/kg; group 3, estradiol (E2): received E2 (3 mg/kg) 3 × weekly subcutaneously and the vehicle. Group 4, E2 + Ch 10 mg/kg and group 5, E2 + Ch 25 mg/kg: Ch was given once daily at 10 mg/kg or 25 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, E2 was administered 3 × weekly (3 mg/kg) in groups 4 and 5. Ch inhibited the E2-induced increase in uterine weights and histopathological changes. Ch lowered the cyclin D1 expression. Ch raised the caspase-3 content and Bax mRNA expression. Furthermore, it corrected the raised Bcl2 mRNA expression due to E2. Ch inhibited MDA accumulation and GSH depletion. It also prevents E2-induced SOD and GPx exhaustion. It also ameliorated the rise in NFκB, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression. These effects were correlated with an enhanced PPARα activity ratio relative to the E2 group. This suggests that Ch attenuates EH in this model by exerting anti-proliferative, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects partially through increasing PPARα activity.

Solid lipid nanoformulation of berberine attenuates Doxorubicin triggered in vitro inflammation in H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes

AIM

To evaluate berberine solid lipid nanoparticles' efficacy against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

BACKGROUND

Berberine (Ber) is cardioprotective, but its oral bioavailability is low and its effect in chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity has not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of berberine chloride were prepared, characterized and evaluated in vitro against Doxorubicin induced cardiomyocyte injury.

METHODOLOGY

Berberine loaded SLNs (Ber-SLNs) were synthesized using water-in-oil microemulsion technique with tripalmitin, Tween 80 and poloxamer 407. Ber-SLNs were evaluated for preventive effect against toxicity of Doxorubicin in H9c2 cells. The culture was pre-treated (24 h) with Ber (10 µM) and Ber-SLNs (1 and 10 µM) and exposed to 1 µM of Doxorubicin (Dox) was added for 3 h. The cell viability (LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase) assay and MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide)), levels of Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), Nitrite, MDA (Malondialdehyde), ROS (Reactive oxygen species) generation and apoptotic DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) content were assessed.

RESULTS

Ber-SLNs had a mean particle size of 13.12±1.188 nm, zeta potential of -1.05 ± 0.08 mV, poly-dispersity index (PDI) of 0.317 ± 0.05 and entrapment efficiency of 50 ± 4.8%. Cell viability was 81  0.17% for Ber-SLNs (10 µM) and 73.22  0.83% for Ber (10 µM) treated cells in MTT assay. Percentage cytotoxicity calculated from LDH release was 58.91  0.54% after Dox, 40.3  1.3% with Ber (10 µM) and 40.7  1.3% with Ber-SLNs (1 µM) (p<0.001). Inflammation and oxidative stress markers were lower with Ber and Ber-SLNs. Attenuation of ROS generation and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were noted on fluorescence microscopy.

CONCLUSION

Ber loaded SLNs effectively prevented Doxorubicin-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in rat cardiomyocytes. The results demonstrate that microemulsion is a simple, cost-effective technique to prepare Ber-SLNs and may be considered as a drug delivery vehicle for berberine.

Pharmacological, Neurochemical, and Behavioral Mechanisms Underlying the Anxiolytic- and Antidepressant-like Effects of Flavonoid Chrysin

Chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid isolated from plants, such as Passiflora coerulea, Passiflora incarnata, and Matricaria chamomilla. This natural molecule exerts diverse pharmacological effects, which includes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and anti-apoptotic effects. Additionally, in brain structures, such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, raphe nucleus, and striatum, involved in the physiopathology of anxiety and depression disorders, several neuropharmacological activities, including the activation of neurotransmitter systems (GABAergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic), neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the nerve growth factor, and some signaling pathways are affected. The results showed that the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of chrysin occurs through its interaction with specific neurotransmitter systems, principally the GABAergic and the serotonergic, and activation of other neurotrophic factors. However, it is not possible to discard the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of chrysin while producing its anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. Although these results have been obtained principally from pre-clinical research, they consistently demonstrate the potential therapeutic use of flavonoid chrysin as an anxiolytic and antidepressant agent. Therefore, this flavonoid could be considered as a promising novel therapy for anxiety and depression disorders.

Protective Effect of Curcumin, Chrysin and Thymoquinone Injection on Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity via Mitochondrial Protection

Mitochondrial dysfunction may lead to cardiomyocyte death in trastuzumab (TZM)-induced cardiotoxicity. Accordingly, this study was designed to evaluate the mitochondrial protective effects of curcumin, chrysin and thymoquinone alone in TZM-induced cardiotoxicity in the rats. Forty-eight male adult Wistar rats were divided into eight groups: control group (normal saline), TZM group (2.5 mg/kg I.P. injection, daily), TZM + curcumin group (10 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily), TZM + chrysin (10 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily), TZM + thymoquinone (0.5 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily), curcumin group (10 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily), chrysin group (10 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily) and thymoquinone group (10 mg/kg, I.P. injection, daily). Blood and tissue were collected on day 11 and used for assessment of creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), troponin, malondialdehyde (MDA) amount, glutathione levels and mitochondrial toxicity parameters. TZM increased mitochondrial impairments (reactive oxygen species formation, mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse and decline in succinate dehydrogenase activity) and histopathological alterations (hypertrophy, enlarged cell, disarrangement, myocytes degeneration, infiltration of fat in some areas, hemorrhage and focal vascular thrombosis) in rat heart. As well as TZM produced a significant increase in the level of CK, LDH, troponin, MDA, glutathione disulfide. In most experiments, the co-injection of curcumin, chrysin and thymoquinone with TZM restored the level of CK, LDH, troponin, MDA, GSH, mitochondrial impairments and histopathological alterations. The study revealed the cardioprotective effects of curcumin, chrysin and thymoquinone against TZM-induced cardiotoxicity which could be attributed to their antioxidant and mitochondrial protection activities.

Pharmacological agents for the prevention of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity

Background

Colistin is a polymyxin antibiotic which has been used for treatment of Gram-negative infections, but it was withdrawn due to its nephrotoxicity. However, colistin has gained its popularity in recent years due to the reemergence of multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections and drug-induced toxicity is considered as the main obstacle for using this valuable antibiotic.

Results

In total, 30 articles, including 29 animal studies and one clinical trial were included in this study. These compounds, including aged black garlic extract, albumin fragments, alpha lipoic acid, astaxanthin, baicalein, chrysin, cilastatin, colchicine, curcumin, cytochrome c, dexmedetomidine, gelofusine, grape seed proanthocyanidin extract, hesperidin, luteolin, lycopene, melatonin, methionine, N-acetylcysteine, silymarin, taurine, vitamin C, and vitamin E exhibited beneficial effects in most of the published works.

Conclusions

In this review, the authors have attempted to review the available literature on the use of several compounds for prevention or attenuation of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity. Most of the studied compounds were potent antioxidants, and it seems that using antioxidants concomitantly can have a protective effect during the colistin exposure.

Higenamine Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Remodeling and Myocyte Apoptosis by Suppressing AMPK Activation

Background: As an effective antitumor drug, doxorubicin (DOX) is primarily used to treat solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. However, increasing evidence has emerged indicating its cardiotoxicity, and few solutions have been proposed to counter this side effect. Higenamine (HG) is a natural compound widely found in many Chinese herbs and also serves as a component in many healthcare products. Several studies have demonstrated its cardioprotective effect in different models, but little is known about the underlying influences of HG against myocardial damage from DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity.

Methods and Results: C57BL/6 mice and neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) were used to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of HG against DOX-induced myocardial damage. In mice, DOX (intraperitoneally injected 5 mg/kg every 3 days for 4 weeks) significantly increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cardiac atrophy, and cardiac dysfunction, which were significantly attenuated by HG (intragastrically administered with 10 mg/kg every day for 4 weeks). In NRVMs, DOX (3 μM for 24 h) significantly increased cell apoptosis and the level of reactive oxygen species while reducing the level of superoxide dismutase and mitochondrial membrane potential. Remarkably, HG can reverse these pathological changes caused by DOX. Interestingly, the protective effect of HG on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity was independent of the activation of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), known for mediating the effect of HG on antagonizing ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiac apoptosis. Furthermore, HG attenuated the abnormal activation of phosphorylated adenosine-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Consistently, AMPK agonists (AICAR) can eliminate these pharmacological actions of HG.

Conclusion: Collectively, our results suggested that HG alleviated DOX-induced chronic myocardial injury by suppressing AMPK activation and ROS production.

The cardioprotective effects of nano-curcumin against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: A systematic review

Although the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin, is commonly used to treat various malignant tumors, its clinical use is restricted because of its toxicity especially cardiotoxicity. The use of curcumin may alleviate some of the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxic effects. Especially, using the nano-formulation of curcumin can overcome the poor bioavailability of curcumin and enhance its physicochemical properties regarding its efficacy. In this study, we systematically reviewed the potential cardioprotective effects of nano-curcumin against the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. A systematic search was accomplished based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for the identification of all relevant articles on "the role of nano-curcumin on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity" in the electronic databases of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science up to July 2021. One hundred and sixty-nine articles were screened following a predefined set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten eligible scientific papers were finally included in the present systematic review. The administration of doxorubicin reduced the body and heart weights of mice/rats compared to the control groups. In contrast, the combined treatment of doxorubicin and nano-curcumin increased the body and heart weights of animals compared with the doxorubicin-treated groups alone. Furthermore, doxorubicin could significantly induce the biochemical and histological changes in the cardiac tissue; however, coadministration of nano-curcumin formulation demonstrated a pattern opposite to the doxorubicin-induced changes. The coadministration of nano-curcumin alleviates the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through various mechanisms including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. Also, the cardioprotective effect of nano-curcumin formulation against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity was higher than free curcumin.

Cardiorenal Protective Effect of Costunolide against Doxorubicin-Induced Toxicity in Rats by Modulating Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis

Doxorubicin (DXB) is one of the most commonly used anticancer agents for treating solid and hematological malignancies; however, DXB-induced cardiorenal toxicity presents a limiting factor to its clinical usefulness in cancer patients. Costunolide (COST) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone with excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. This study evaluated the effect of COST on DXB-induced cardiorenal toxicity in rats. Rats were orally treated with COST for 4 weeks and received weekly 5 mg/kg doses of DXB for three weeks. Cardiorenal biochemical biomarkers, lipid profile, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, histological and immunohistochemical analyses were evaluated. DXB-treated rats displayed significantly increased levels of lipid profiles, markers of cardiorenal dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, troponin T, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and creatinine). In addition, DXB markedly upregulated cardiorenal malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 levels and decreased glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. COST treatment significantly attenuated the aforementioned alterations induced by DXB. Furthermore, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that COST ameliorated the histopathological features and reduced p53 and myeloperoxidase expression in the treated rats. These results suggest that COST exhibits cardiorenal protective effects against DXB-induced injury presumably via suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Evidence-based mechanistic role of chrysin towards protection of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats

Cardiac hypertrophy is the enlargement of cardiomyocytes in response to persistent release of catecholamine which further leads to cardiac fibrosis. Chrysin, flavonoid from honey, is well known for its multifarious properties like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic. To investigate the cardioprotective potential of chrysin against isoproterenol (ISO), cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis are induced in rats. Acclimatised male albino Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (n 6): normal (carboxymethyl cellulose at 0·5 % p.o.; as vehicle), hypertrophy control (ISO 3 mg/kg, s.c.), CHY15 + H, CHY30 + H & CHY60 + H (chrysin; p.o.15, 30 and 60 mg/kg respectively + ISO at 3 mg/kg, s.c.), CHY60 (chrysin 60 mg/kg in per se) and LST + H (losartan 10 mg/kg p.o. + ISO 3 mg/kg, s.c.) were treated for 28 d. After the dosing schedule on day 29, haemodynamic parameters were recorded, after that blood and heart were excised for biochemical, histological, ultra-structural and molecular evaluations. ISO administration significantly increases heart weight:body weight ratio, pro-oxidants, inflammatory and cardiac injury markers. Further, histopathological, ultra-structural and molecular studies confirmed deteriorative changes due to ISO administration. Pre-treatment with chrysin of 60 mg/kg reversed the ISO-induced damage to myocardium and prevent cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through various anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant and anti-fibrotic pathways. Data demonstrated that chrysin attenuated myocardial hypertrophy and prevented fibrosis via activation of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/Smad signalling pathway.

The Role of Flavonoids as a Cardioprotective Strategy against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity: A Review

Doxorubicin is a widely used and promising anticancer drug; however, a severe dose-dependent cardiotoxicity hampers its therapeutic value. Doxorubicin may cause acute and chronic issues, depending on the duration of toxicity. In clinical practice, the accumulative toxic dose is up to 400 mg/m² and increasing the dose will increase the probability of cardiac toxicity. Several molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity have been proposed, including oxidative stress, topoisomerase beta II inhibition, mitochondrial dysfunction, Ca²⁺ homeostasis dysregulation, intracellular iron accumulation, ensuing cell death (apoptosis and necrosis), autophagy, and myofibrillar disarray and loss. Natural products including flavonoids have been widely studied both in cell, animal, and human models which proves that flavonoids alleviate cardiac toxicity caused by doxorubicin. This review comprehensively summarizes cardioprotective activity flavonoids including quercetin, luteolin, rutin, apigenin, naringenin, and hesperidin against doxorubicin, both in in vitro and in vivo models.

Nauclea orientalis (L.) Bark Extract Protects Rat Cardiomyocytes from Doxorubicin-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis, and DNA Fragmentation

The therapeutic efficacy of anthracycline antibiotic, doxorubicin (Dox), is hampered due to the dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. The objective of the study was to explore the counteraction of aqueous bark extract of Nauclea orientalis in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats. The acute and subchronic toxicity study performed with 2.0 g/kg of the plant extract revealed biochemical and haematological parameters to be within the physiological range, and no histological alterations were observed in any organs isolated. Screening of plant extract for the protection of the myocardium from Dox-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis was performed on five groups of rats: control, plant extract control, Dox control (distilled water (D.H₂O) 2 weeks + on the 11^th day single injection of Dox, 18 mg/kg), plant + Dox (2.0 g/kg plant extract 2 weeks + on the 11^th day Dox, 18 mg/kg), and positive control, dexrazoxane. A significant increase in cardiac biomarkers and lipid peroxidation (p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in antioxidant parameters (p < 0.001) were observed in the Dox control group. All these parameters were reversed significantly (p < 0.05) in the plant-pretreated group. The histopathological assessment of myocardial damage provided supportive evidence for the biochemical results obtained. Inflammatory markers, myeloperoxidase, expression of TNFα and caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL positive nuclei) were significantly elevated (p < 0.05), and expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the Dox control; however, all these parameters were significantly reversed in the plant extract-treated group. In conclusion, the aqueous bark extract of Nauclea orientalis (2.0 g/kg) has the ability to attenuate the Dox-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA fragmentation in Wistar rats.

Protective effect of chrysin on indomethacin induced gastric ulcer in rats: role of multi-pathway regulation

We investigated the potential gastroprotective effects of chrysin on indomethacin induced gastric ulcers in rats. We used six groups of animals: control; indomethacin (Indo); reference (Ulcuran®); indomethacin + 25 mg/kg chrysin (Indo + CHR25); indomethacin + 50 mg/kg chrysin (Indo + CHR50); indomethacin + 100 mg/kg chrysin (Indo + CHR100). All doses of chrysin were given orally to rats before indomethacin. Gastric lesions were examined macroscopically and microscopically. The effects of treatment with chrysin were assessed versus a single dose of 30 mg/kg Ulcuran® (generic ranitidine) as reference standard. We also investigated gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), malonaldehyde (MDA) and arginase activities, and COX-2, PGE₂, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β, NFκB, MPO, Bax, caspase-3 and 8-OHdG levels. We assessed caspase-3 and Bax levels using immunohistochemistry. Compared to the control and reference groups, SOD, CAT, GPx and arginase activities and GSH levels decreased, and MDA levels increased in the indomethacin induced gastric ulcer group. iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β, NFκB, MAPK-14, MPO, Bax and 8-OHdG levels were increased in the indomethacin treated gastric group, while COX-2 activity and PGE₂ levels were decreased. The three doses of chrysin co-administered with indomethacin increased COX-2 activity and PGE₂ levels in rats with ulcers. Chrysin exhibited gastroprotective effects on indomethacin induced gastric ulcer due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities.

Cardioprotective effects of phytopigments via multiple signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the deadliest non-communicable diseases, and millions of dollars are spent every year to combat CVDs. Unfortunately, the multifactorial etiology of CVDs complicates the development of efficient therapeutics. Interestingly, phytopigments show significant pleiotropic cardioprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo.

PURPOSE

This review gives an overview of the cardioprotective effects of phytopigments based on in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials.

METHODS

A literature-based survey was performed to collect the available data on cardioprotective activities of phytopigments via electronic search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus.

RESULTS

Different classes of phytopigments such as carotenoids, xanthophylls, flavonoids, anthocyanins, anthraquinones alleviate major CVDs (e.g., cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiotoxicities) via acting on signaling pathways related to AMPK, NF-κB, NRF2, PPARs, AKT, TLRs, MAPK, JAK/STAT, NLRP3, TNF-α, and RA.

CONCLUSION

Phytopigments represent promising candidates to develop novel and effective CVD therapeutics. More randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies are recommended to establish the clinical efficacy of phytopigments.

Betulinic acid attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced intestinal mucosa injury by inhibiting the NF-κB/MAPK signalling pathways and activating the Nrf2 signalling pathway

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been associated with several biological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. Previous studies have demonstrated that BA has the ability to alleviate intestinal mucosal damage, however, the potential mechanism associated with the effect has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the possible protective mechanism of BA against cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced intestinal mucosal damage. Here, we found that BA pretreatment prevented intestinal mucosal barrier dysfuction from CYP-challenged mice by repairing the intestinal physical, chemical, and immune barriers. Moreover, BA treatment suppressed the CYP-induced oxidative stress by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2 [NF-E2]-related factor (Nrf2) pathway blocked reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In addition, BA inhibited CYP-triggered intestinal inflammation through down-regulating the nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB)/mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Furthermore, BA pretreatment reduced intestinal apoptosis by blocking ROS-activated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Overall, the current study demonstrated the protective effect of BA against CYP-caused intestinal mucosal damage by regulating the Nrf2 and NF-κB/MAPK signalling pathways, which may provide new therapeutic targets to attenuate intestinal impairment and maintain intestinal health.

Neuroprotective Potential of Chrysin: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential for Neurological Disorders

Chrysin, a herbal bioactive molecule, exerts a plethora of pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer. A growing body of evidence has highlighted the emerging role of chrysin in a variety of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors. Based on the results of recent pre-clinical studies and evidence from studies in humans, this review is focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of chrysin in different neurological diseases. In addition, the potential challenges, and opportunities of chrysin’s inclusion in the neurotherapeutics repertoire are critically discussed.

Chrysin induces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis to increase chemosensitivity to gemcitabine by targeting CBR1 in pancreatic cancer cells

Recent studies have verified that inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the gemcitabine anti-tumor mechanisms of action. Human carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) plays an important role in protecting cells against oxidative damage. However, it is unclear whether CBR1 is involved in pancreatic cancer (PC) progression and resistance to gemcitabine. Based on the GEPIA database, we analyzed tumor tissue samples from PC patients using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and revealed that CBR1 was highly expressed in PC tissues and that this was significantly correlated with the clinicopathological features of PC. Genetic inhibition of CBR1 suppressed PC cell proliferation by regulating ROS generation. Furthermore, gemcitabine upregulated CBR1 expression, which could limit the anti-tumor activity of gemcitabine, and attenuation of CBR1 enhanced gemcitabine sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we report that chrysin directly binds to CBR1, which inhibited its enzymatic activity both at the molecular and cellular levels. Inhibition of CBR1 by chrysin increased cellular ROS levels and led to ROS-dependent autophagy, which resulted in the degradation of ferritin heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) and an increase in the intracellular free iron level that participates in ferroptosis in PC cells. Finally, our results showed that chrysin enhanced PC sensitivity to gemcitabine by inducing ferroptotic death in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicate that CBR1 is a potential therapeutic target for PC treatment. In addition, we elucidated a novel mechanism underlying the anti-tumor effects of chrysin.

Promising Protective Effects of Chrysin in Cardiometabolic Diseases

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) have a great burden in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The vicious cycle of CMD consists of type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and atherosclerosis interacting and feedbacking each other. The natural flavonoid chrysin has been displayed to own a broad spectrum of therapeutic impacts for human health. Herein, we did an in-depth investigation of the novel mechanisms of chrysin's cardioprotection against cardiometabolic disorder. Studies have shown that chrysin protects the cardiovascular system by enhancing the intrinsic antioxidative defense system. This antioxidant boost by chrysin protects against several risk factors of cardiometabolic disorders including atherosclerosis, vascular inflammation and dysfunction, platelet aggregation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiotoxicity, myocardial infarction, injury and remodeling, diabetes-induced injuries, and obesity. Chrysin also exhibited anti-inflammatory mechanisms through inhibiting pro-inflammatory pathways including NF-κB, MAPK, and PI3k/Akt. Furthermore, chrysin modulated NO pathway, RAS system, AGE/RAGE pathway, PPARs pathway which contributed to the risk factors of cardiometabolic disorders. Taken together, the mechanisms in which chrysin protects against cardiometabolic disorder are more than merely antioxidation and anti-inflammation in the cardiovascular system.

Does Chrysin prevent severe lung damage in Hyperoxia-Induced lung injury Model?

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive effect of Chrysin (CH), an antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic and antifibrotic drug, on hyperoxia-induced lung injury in a neonatal rat model.

METHODS

Forty infant rats were divided into four groups labeled the Control, CH, BPD, and BPD + CH. The control and CH groups were kept in a normal room environment, while the BPD and BPD + CH groups were kept in a hyperoxic (90-95%) environment. At the end of the study, lung tissue was evaluated with respect to apoptosis, histopathological damage and alveolar macrophage score as well as oxidant capacity, antioxidant capacity, and inflammation.

RESULTS

Compared to the BPD + CH and control groups, the lung tissues of the BPD group displayed substantially higher levels of MDA, TOS, TNF-α, and IL-1β (p < 0.05). While the BPD + CH group showed similar levels of TNF-α and IL-1β as the control group, MDA and TOS levels were higher than the control group, and significantly lower than the BPD group (p < 0.05). The BPD group exhibited considerably lower levels of TAS, SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05). The BPD and BPD + CH groups exhibited higher mean scores of histopathological damage and alveolar macrophage when compared to the control and CH groups (p ≤ 0.0001). Both scores were found to be lower in the BPD + CH group in comparison to the BPD group (p ≤ 0.0001). The BPD + CH group demonstrated a significantly lower average of TUNEL and caspase-3 positive cells than the BPD group.

CONCLUSION

We found that prophylaxis with CH results in lower histopathological damage score and reduces apoptotic cell count, inflammation and oxidative stress while increasing anti-oxidant capacity.

Benazepril hydrochloride protects against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway

Doxorubicin (DOX) stimulates the generation of reactive oxygen species, thereby impairing mitochondrial functions. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) have been identified to exhibit protective effects on cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that an ACEI benazepril hydrochloride (HCl) may protect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The DOX injury model was established using rat embryonic cardiac myoblast cells (H9c2 cell line) treated with DOX in vitro. H9c2 cells were treated with benazepril-HCl, DOX or a mixture of DOX and benazepril-HCl to measure the activities of myocardial enzymes including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, in addition to the concentration of malondialdehyde in the culture medium. Cells without any treatment were used as a control. DOX treatment increased the levels of activity of myocardial enzymes in H9c2 cells compared with those in the untreated control cells. Additionally, co-treatment with benazepril-HCl significantly reduced the levels of apoptosis occurring due to DOX-mediated cellular damage. The mechanistic experiment revealed that pretreatment with benazepril-HCl counteracted the DOX-induced oxidative stress and suppressed the activation of apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. By contrast, an Akt inhibitor (MK2206) inhibited the protective effects of benazepril-HCl against DOX-induced H9c2 cell injury, as revealed by increased LDH release in H9c2 cells. These results suggested that benazepril-HCl may potentially be administered as an adjuvant for DOX in long-term clinical use.

Cardioprotective effects of corilagin on doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity via P13K/Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways in rats model

Even though doxorubicin (DOX) is a potential chemotherapeutic drug, its usage is restricted due to its ability to induce cardiac damage. In order to prevent this damage, a potent cardioprotective agent should be associated with DOX treatment. Corilagin is a natural polyphenol tannic acid which unveils enormous pharmacological activities predominantly as an antitumor agent. Hence, the current work is designed to study the precise mechanisms of corilagin upon administration in doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity in experimental rats. DOX treated rats showed diminished level of blood pressures and heart rate, whereas corilagin along with DOX treatment improved the status. Cardiotoxicity enzymes and biomarkers were found to be increased in the serum of DOX induced rats. Upon treatment, corilagin could reduce the cardiotoxicity enzymes and biomarkers in serum. Histopathological examination of cardiac tissue also revealed the anti-toxic effects of corilagin in contrast to DOX. Injection of DOX in rats showed inflammatory cells infiltration, necrosis and fragmented myofibrils. Corilagin treatment reverted the cardiac histology to near normal. Inflammatory mediators and P13K, Akt, and NF-κB were upregulated in DOX administered rats. Corilagin repressed the levels of P13K, Akt, and NF-κB in DOX induced rats. In the present investigations, corilagin improved cardiac function via reducing injury, inflammation and promoting apoptosis thereby suggesting that corilagin would be recommended for DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.