The protection of the myocardium by amifostine against mitoxantrone-induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats.

OBJECTIVE Amifostine (AMI) has been used for the prevention of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in several experimental and a few clinical studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AMI on lipid peroxidation, protective enzymes, and mitoxantrone (MITO)-induced acute cardiotoxicity in the rat heart using biochemical tests and histopathological examinations. METHODS Thirty-six rats were divided into six groups (n=6 in each). Control rats were given intraperitoneal (i.p.) serum saline and AMI group rats were given 200 mg/kg AMI i.p. Rats received MITO-2.5 and 5 mg/kg i.p. in the MITO-2.5 and MITO-5 groups. AMI 200 mg/kg i.p. was administered 30 min. before the same doses of MITO in the MITO-2.5+AMI and MITO-5+AMI groups. RESULTS The levels of cardiac enzymes such as creatinine phosphokinase-myocardial band and cardiac troponin T did not change. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in MITO groups compared to controls. Catalase and glutathione (GSH) levels in the MITO and MITO+AMI groups were higher than in controls. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels were not different between MITO groups and controls. There was no difference in MDA levels between MITO+AMI groups and controls. Calcium deposition was not detected. The scores of fibrosis, apoptosis, inflammation, and degeneration in MITO groups were higher than in controls. The scores of fibrosis, degeneration and inflammation in MITO+AMI groups were lower. CONCLUSION MITO caused lipid peroxidation and myocardial damage, and the myocardium increased catalase and GSH levels to prevent this damage. AMI can protect against MITO-induced acute cardiotoxicity, decreasing myocardial damage and lipid peroxidation.