The protective effects of topiramate and spirulina against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapy drug that can cause significant cardiotoxicity, limiting its clinical application. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of topiramate (TPM) and spirulina (SP), either alone or in combination, in preventing DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Adult Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups, including a normal control group and groups receiving DOX alone, DOX with TPM, DOX with SP, or DOX with a combination of TPM and SP. Cardiotoxicity was induced by administering DOX intraperitoneally at a cumulative dose of 16 mg/kg over 4 weeks. TPM and/or SP administration started 1 week before DOX treatment and continued for 35 days. Body weight, serum markers of cardiac damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters were assessed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations were performed on cardiac tissues. Results showed that TPM and SP monotherapy led to significant improvements in serum levels of cardiac markers, decreased oxidative stress, reduced fibrosis-related growth factor levels, increased antioxidant levels, and improved histopathological features. SP demonstrated more prominent effects in comparison to TPM, and the combination of TPM and SP exhibited even more pronounced effects. In conclusion, TPM and SP, either alone or in combination, hold promise as therapeutic interventions for mitigating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

New insights into the potential cardioprotective effects of telmisartan and nanoformulated extract of Spirulina platensis via regulation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in an experimental model

“…Parallel to these results Arozal et al (2010) showed that TEL has antiapoptotic properties against daunorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, whereas TEL significantly decreases the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei and expression of activated caspase-7 in addition to upregulation of Bcl2 expression. Another experimental study by Elmorsi et al (2023) showed that Sp monotherapy downregulated caspase-3 immunoreactivity in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. A study by Sinanoglu et al (2012) reported that Sp supplementation (1000 mg/kg bw/day) for 7 days may be able to downregulate apoptosis in the kidneys of rats intoxicated with Cyclo through downregulation of caspase-3 expression.…”