"Epirubicin cardiotoxicity" the underlying mechanism behind the possible protection by lacidipine versus natural antioxidants

ABSTRACT

The current study probes the utility of two adjuvant regimens, vitamin E and vitamin C combination or lacidipine in hope to minimize or abort epirubicin cardiotoxic potential. The study was conducted on 40 albino rats, divided into 4 equal groups one received 0.4 mg/kg epirubicin, the second and third received either epirubicin with vitamin E and vitamin C, 100 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg respectively, or epirubicin with lacidipine 3 mg/kg, the fourth group served as control. Cardiotoxic profile was assessed biochemically [serum cardiac enzymes] and histopathologicaljy while the oxidative stress was assessed by determining the tissue level of glutathione, superoxide dismutase [SOD] and malondialdehyde [MDA]. The results have demonstrated that both regimens, whether vitamin E and vitamin C or lacidipine, significantly suppressed the increase in serum cardiac enzymes, and tissue MDA, and significantly elevated the decreased tissue glutathione and SOD induced by epirubicin. it can be concluded that vitamin E and vitamin C combination or lacidipine are good candidates as adjuvant therapy that can be utilized to reduce epirubicin cardiotoxic potential and they are worthy for clinical evaluation