Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Abnormalities in Rats: Attenuation via Sandalwood Oil

Abstract

Introduction: The clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX) is challenged by its incremental dose-related cardiotoxicity. Objective: The aim of the hereby study was to investigate sandalwood essential oil (SEO) against DOX-induced cardiac toxicity. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into 4 groups. Groups 1 signified the control, whereas group 2 administered 100 mg/kg/day SEO, both act as control. In group 3, DOX was given intraperitoneal in a dose of 3 mg/kg/ every other day for 2 weeks to induced cardiotoxicity. While group 4 received a combination of SEO and DOX for 2 weeks. DOX prompted variations were assessed by measuring cardiac injury biomarkers, including creatine phosphokinase, cardiac troponin T, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), electrocardiogram (ECG) fluctuations, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) indices. The effect of both DOX and SEO on various antioxidants such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and inflammatory mediators including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and NF-κB was quantified. Results: DOX augmented cardiac injury biomarkers, altered ECG, deceased HR and antioxidants, and finally increased BP indices. Treatment with SEO significantly (p < 0.05) decreased cardiac biomarkers and reversing ECG changes and BP. Moreover, treatment with SEO enhanced HR anomalies and antioxidant activity reduction and precluded the intensive inflammatory response induced by DOX. Conclusion: SEO may have the potential of mitigating cardiac rhythm and BP indices changes induced with DOX. SEO modifications may be due to antioxidant capacity improvement and inflammatory response prohibition of the heart muscle.