Quercetin Protects Liver Cells and Mitochondria Against Doxorubicin Induced Oxidative Stress in Albinos' Rats

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX) is considered the most toxic anthracycline on hepatocytes. Despite this toxicity, DOX is widely used in clinical oncology practice due to its good therapeutic efficacy. Considerable effort has been expended to identify therapies that reduce this adverse response. This study treats the preventive effect of Quercetin (QE); one of the most abundant bioflavonoids, against doxorubicin induced oxidative stress in liver cells and mitochondria. We find that doxorubicin at the amount of 10 mg/Kg altered liver mitochondrial functions as attested by the overproduction of superoxide anion production (O2–) by mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III. The hepatic tissue from doxorubicin treated rats showed a marked depletion in reduced GSH content, a significant increase in malonedialdehyde (MDA) levels and inhibition in superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), (Cu-Zn SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymatic activities. These results are reversed after one mount per os pretreatment by Quercetin at the amount of 0.33 mg/kg. Quercetin protects liver tissue from oxidative stress by protecting mitochondria and reinforcement of enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidant defenses.