Oxidative stress in amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity in rats and the protective effect of L-carnitine and vitamin C

Abstract

This scientific work was designed to investigate the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity and if antioxidants co-administration with amiodarone exerts a partial protective effect. The study was carried out on 36 Sprague-Dawley male rats divided into six equal groups, and doses of different solutions were given to them by gastric tube every day for 7 days as follow; the 1st group: which was considered as an untreated control group under the same laboratory conditions, was given distilled water, the 2nd group: amiodarone-treated group that was given amiodarone (100 mg / kg/ body weight), the 3rd group: received L-carnitine (LC) (100 mg/kg body weight), the 4th group: received vitamin C (1 mg/100 g body weight), the 5th group: received amiodarone along with LC, and the 6th group: was given amiodarone and vitamin C at the same time. The current histopathological findings revealed that amiodarone caused marked changes in the lung including inflammatory cells infiltration in addition to extensive fibrosis. Increased levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and decrease the level of catalase (CAT) in the AM treated group was observed. Administration of L-carnitine and vitamin C reduced the extent of lung damage induced by amiodarone. Antioxidants administration induced a significant decrease in MDA and an increase in CAT in lung tissue as compared with AM. The oral administration of vitamin C and L. carnitine reversed the biochemical and histopathological alterations induced by AM. They may have a role in the prevention of AM-induced lung toxicity.