The analgesic compound palmitoylethanolamide reduces inflammation in human cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells exposed to doxorubicin and anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody through PPAR-α and NLRP3-related pathways.

Abstract

e24054 Background: Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous fatty acid mediator that is synthetized from membrane phospholipids by N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D. It is a new analgesic drug with anti-inflammatory effects through the induction of PPAR-related pathways. We aimed to assess whether palmitoylethanolamide co-incubated during doxorubicin and trastuzumab, reduces anticancer drugs-related cardiotoxicity in cellular models. Methods: Human vascular endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes were exposed to subclinical concentration of doxorubicin (at 100 and 200 nM) combined to trastuzumab (at 100 and 200 nM) alone or in combination with a formulation composed by palmitoylethanolamide 500 nM for 48h. After the incubation period, we performed the following tests: determination of cell viability, through analysis of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, study of lipid peroxidation (quantifying cellular Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal), intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Moreover, pro-inflammatory studied were also performed (activation of NLRP3 inflammasome; expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α; mTORC1 Fox01/3a; transcriptional activation of p65/NF-κB and secretion of cytokines involved in cardiotoxicity (Interleukins 1β, 8, 6). Results: Palmitoylethanolamide co-incubated with doxorubicin exerts vasculoprotective and cardioprotective effects, enhancing cell viability of 56.3-78.7 % compared to untreated cells (p < 0,001 for all). Notably, PEA reduced significantly the cardiotoxicity through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α –related pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome but without the involvement of calcium homeostasis. Several cytokines and chemokines were also reduced confirming its anti-inflammatory effect. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that palmitoylethanolamide protects against vasculotoxicity and cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin and trastuzumab by promoting an anti-inflammatory phenotype, representing a new therapeutic approach to resolve doxorubicin-induced vasculo-cardio toxicity and inflammation.