Adhesion molecule expression trigger immune-mediated pathology in lupus-nephritis

Abstract

Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most potent broad-spectrum antitumor anthracycline antibiotics, its use is limited by the development of life-threatening cardiomyopathy. Doxorubicin generates free radicals and induces oxidative stress associated with cellular injury. Further, it has been shown that free radicals are involved in doxorubicin-induced toxicity. The goal of this study is to investigated the cardio-protective effects of caffeic acid on doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity. The rats were randomized into three equal groups, sham group without treatment, doxorubicin treated group at a dose 3mg/kg IP every other two days and group treated with doxorubicin plus caffeic acid 40mg/day. Two weeks later LV function measurment were performed and blood samples were collected from the heart to measurment plasma levels of cardiac Troponin-I (cTn-I), oxidative stress parameter malondialdehyde (MDA) and high a sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP). The hearts were excised for cardiac tissue cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10) measurement and microscopic examination. Rats in the Dox+caffeic acid group had improved LV function, reduced cytokine expression, decreased myocardial marker injury (cTn-I) and less MDA, hs-CRP levels in comparison with the Dox group. Pathological finding appeared nearly normal in the Dox+caffeic acid without fibrosis. The results of the present study reveal that caffeic acid has a promising cardioprotective effect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.