Biomedicines (Oct 2023)

The Protective Effect of Citronellol against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats

  • Sania Munir,
  • Rizwan Hafeez,
  • Waqas Younis,
  • Muhammad Nasir Hayat Malik,
  • Muhammad Usman Munir,
  • Wajiha Manzoor,
  • Muryam Abdul Razzaq,
  • Luciane Barbosa Pessoa,
  • Katiana Simões Lopes,
  • Francislaine Aparecida dos Reis Lívero,
  • Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11102820
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 10
p. 2820

Abstract

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Citronellol has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antihypertensive activities, but its effect on myocardial ischemia is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and pharmacological mechanisms of citronellol on ischemia. Therefore, a rat model of myocardial ischemia was established using the doxorubicin (DOX) model. To induce cardiotoxicity, the rats were given DOX (2.5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally over a 14-day period. Group I served as the control and received tween 80 (0.2%), group II received the vehicle and DOX, group III received the standard drug dexrazoxane and DOX, whereas groups IV, V, and VI were treated orally with citronellol (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) and DOX, respectively. After treatment, the rats were euthanized, and blood samples were collected to assess the levels of serum cardiac markers, lipid profiles, and tissue antioxidant enzymes. The gene expressions of eNOS, PPAR-g, IL-10, VEGF, and NFkB-1 were also determined using real-time polymerase chain reactions. Simultaneous treatment with DOX and citronellol reduced cardiac antioxidant enzymes and lipid biomarkers in a dose-dependent manner. Citronellol also increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines while reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, it can be concluded that citronellol may have potential cardioprotective effects in preventing DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

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