ABSTRACT
Background: Doxorubicin [Dox] is an effective anthracycline anticancer drug, although it's clinical efficacy is restricted because of several acute and chronic side effects such as cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of quercetin on doxorubicin induced toxicity in male rats
Materials and methods: This experimental study was done on 30 Wistar rats, which divided into five groups [6 rats in each group]. One control group was treated with saline [1 mL/kg], while the second control group [quercetin vehicle] received DMSO [1 mL/kg] for 14 days. Experimental groups were orally treated with quercetin every day at a dosage of 20 mg/kg, doxorubicin [25 mg/kg, i.p.] on 12th, 13th and 14th days of the experiment, as well as, with the combination of doxorubicin and Quercetin in stated doses. The treatment period lasted for 14 days. Body weight and histological preparations of heart samples of treated animals were examined on 15th day
Results: Body weight animals treated with doxorubicin significantly decreased compared to other groups [p<0.05]. Quercetin was able to prevent weight loss caused by doxorubicin. Histopathological findings revealed that pretreatment by quercetin had protective efficacy against doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity
Conclusion: According to pathological results, we confirmed that quercetin possess hepatoprotective effect against doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity which may be through its antioxidant activity