Cardiotoxic and genotoxic effects of doxorubicin in albino rats

ABSTRACT

Doxorubicin [DXR] is a potent chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment ofneoplastic diseases. To evaluate its cardiotoxicity and genotoxicity, it wasadministered orally for three successive weeks [three days a week] at a dailydose of 3.6 mg/kg body weight to a group of normal adult albino rats. At theend of the experiment, examination of the cardiac muscle of the treated ratsby light microscopic process showed areas of myocardial damage with separatedfoci of degenerated fibers, dilatation of blood vessels with increasedvasculature and areas of vascular degenerative changes between separatedirregular myofibrils. Electron microscopic study revealed, in addition to the above changes, a partial loss of myofibrils in some areas and degeneration in others, besides a disorganization of the nuclear membrane with nucleolusalternation and distension of blood capillaries. Increased vasculardegeneration and alternation of the interlocated discs were noted in manyareas with increased glycogen particles in-between the myofibrils. DXRinduced structural chromosomal aberration in the form of increased breaks andring chromosome formation, deletion of the short arm of acrocentricchromosome, and duplication of the long arm of metacentric chromosome, whilethe main numerical aberration was polyploidy chromosomal pattern