Ameliorating oxidative stress and inflammation by Hesperidin and vitamin E in doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy

Background Doxorubicin (DOX) is a common chemotherapeutic drug. However, it causes cardiomyopathy which reduces its clinical use in human cancer therapy. Objective The purpose of our study was to assess the cardioprotective effect of hesperidin (HSP) and vitamin E (VIT.E) against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Material and methods Seventy rats were allocated into seven groups: control, HSP (50 mg/kg, orally), VIT.E (100 mg/kg orally), DOX [4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)], DOX+HSP, DOX+VIT.E and DOX+HSP+VIT.E. Results Our findings showed that serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), myeloperoxidase (MPO), cardiac catalase and caspase activities as well as cardiac malondialdehyde (MDA) and serum nitric oxide (NO) concentrations were reduced DOX+HSP or DOX+VIT.E or DOX+VIT.E+HSP groups compared to DOX group. Whereas, cardiac reduced glutathione (GSH) level, serum arylesterase, and paraoxonase activities were higher in rats injected with DOX and administrated with HSP and VIT.E than that of rats injected with DOX only. Cardiac histopathology of DOX group showed some changes that were improved during administration with HSP and VIT.E. Conclusion HSP and VIT.E possess a protective effect against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy via inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.