Pharmacodynamic Interaction of Green Tea Extract with Hydrochlorothiazide against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Myocardial Damage

Ellagic acid restored lead-induced nephrotoxicity by anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and free radical scavenging activities

Introduction

long-term environmental and occupational exposure to lead, which is a ubiquitous industrial pollutant, causes significant damage to tissues of kidney. This report aims to address this debilitating issue. A natural polyphenolic compound, Ellagic acid (EA) is having numerous potential medicinal properties. In this present study nephroprotective effects of EA has been evaluated in a rodent model with lead-induced toxicity.

Methods

Rats were treated with EA doses of 50 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg and simultaneously co-administered with lead acetate (60 mg/kg) for 2 months through oral route. The extent to which EA treatment provides nephroprotective effect was estimated by measurement of serum biomarkers, tissue antioxidants, inflammatory mediators, apoptosis, autophagy pathway and histological examination.

Results

EA treatment caused significant restoration in the level of serum biomarkers, tissue antioxidants and histological architecture of renal tissue. Treatment with either of the doses of EA causes restoration of pro-inflammatory mediators to approximately pre-exposure concentration. This phenomena is caused by suppression of expression levels of inflammatory molecules like tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as functional expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Moreover, it was also observed that EA suppressed apoptotic and autophagic pathway by reduction of expression of light chain 3B (LC3B) level which are the oxidative DNA damage markers of renal tissue.

Conclusion

It can be safely concluded that EA provides protection against lead-induced nephrotoxicity to a significant degree.

Evaluation of cardioprotection and bio-efficacy enhancement of stevioside and diltiazem in rats

Background

Cardiovascular diseases and resultant complications of cardio-therapeutic regimens are one of the leading causes of mortalities in developing countries. Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker primarily used in treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias, systemic hypertension, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Stevioside, the chief component of Stevia plant, is a natural sweetener that has significant therapeutic properties. Stevioside is a known bioenhancer that acts by synergizing pharmacological activities of other drugs. Present study was designed to evaluate cardioprotective activity of stevioside and possible bioenhancement upon co-administration with diltiazem. Standard cardiotoxicity models—isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) through modified Langendorff setup was used to test this hypothesis. Rats were randomly divided into control groups (normal—physiological saline and toxic—isoproterenol, 150 mg/kg, s.c., and IRI induced in normal control animals) and treatment groups (diltiazem—17.5 mg/kg, p.o., stevioside—100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o. and combination groups). At the end of the treatment period, animals were sacrificed and biochemical, electrocardiographic, and histopathological changes were measured.

Results

Pre-treatment with stevioside prevented leakage of biomarkers and normalized serum and perfusate levels of CK-MB, CK-NAC, LDH, AST, and ALT enzymes. It displayed lipid-lowering effect on TC and TG levels dose dependently. STV also showed protective action on levels of tissue antioxidant enzymes (SOD and Catalase), electrocardiographic parameters (HR, RR, QRS, QT, PR), and heart tissue histopathology when compared to concurrent toxic control groups. Combination of stevioside (200 mg/kg) and diltiazem (17.5 mg/kg) exerted a more significant pharmacodynamic response, significantly restored biomarkers, antioxidants levels, and myocardial histology, and normalized electrocardiographic parameters.

Conclusion

Stevioside and diltiazem both displayed cardioprotective effect when given alone. Co-administration displayed improved restorative action on antioxidant status, biomarkers, electrocardiographic parameters, and histology.

The Role of Antioxidants in Ameliorating Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cardiotoxicity

The chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive agent cyclophosphamide has previously been shown to induce complications within the setting of bone marrow transplantation. More recently, cardiotoxicity has been shown to be a dose-limiting factor during cyclophosphamide therapy, and cardiooncology is getting wider attention. Though mechanism of cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity is not completely understood, it is thought to encompass oxidative and nitrative stress. As such, this review focuses on antioxidants and their role in preventing or ameliorating cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity. It will give special emphasis to the cardioprotective effects of natural, plant-derived antioxidants that have garnered significant interest in recent times.

Cardioprotective Effect of Croton macrostachyus Stem Bark Extract and Solvent Fractions on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats

Objective

To evaluate the antioxidant and cardioprotective activities of stem bark extract and solvent fractions of Croton macrostachyus on cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods. DPPH free radical scavenging assay method was used to determine antioxidant activity whereas Sprague-Dawley rats were used to evaluate the cardioprotective activity. Except for the normal control, all groups were subjected to cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg, i.p.) toxicity on the first day. Enalapril at 10 mg/kg was used as a reference. The hydromethanolic crude extract (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) and aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions (100 and 200 mg/kg, each) were administered for 10 days. The cardioprotective activities were evaluated using cardiac biomarkers such as Troponin I, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and histopathological studies of heart tissue.

Results

Crude extract and ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions exhibited free radical scavenging activities at IC₅₀ of 594 μg/mL, 419 μg/mL, and 716 μg/mL, respectively. Crude extract at 400 mg/kg decreased the levels of troponin, AST, ALT, and ALP to 0.29 ± 0.06 ng/mL, 103.00 ± 7.63 U/L, 99.80 ± 6.18 U/L, and 108.80 ± 8.81 U/L, respectively. In addition, ethyl acetate fraction at 200 mg/kg decreased the levels of troponin, AST, ALT, and ALP to 0.22 ± 0.02 ng/mL, 137.00 ± 14.30 U/L, 90.33 ± 6.13 U/L, and 166.67 ± 13.50 U/L, respectively, compared with the cyclophosphamide control group.

Conclusions

Croton macrostachyus possesses cardioprotective activities and it could be a possible source of treatment for cardiotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide.

Protective effect of some natural products against chemotherapy-induced toxicity in rats

Aim

There is a great interest in combining anticancer drugs with natural products aiming at maximizing their efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. Hence, the present study was constructed aiming to investigate the protective potential of three natural products, 1,8-cineole an essential oil from Artemisia herba alba, exopolysaccharide (EPS) from locally identified marine streptomycete, and ellagic acid (EA), against chemotherapy-induced organ toxicity.

Methods

Isolation, production and characterization of EPS from marine streptomycete was done. Animals were allocated into five groups, GP1: normal control, GP2: cyclophosphamide (CYC), GP3: 1,8-cineole + CYC, GP4: EPS + CYC, GP4: EA + CYC. All drugs were administered orally 1 week before and concomitantly with CYC. Electrocardiography (ECG) analysis, liver enzymes (ALT and AST), cardiac serum markers (LDH and CK), oxidative stress biomarkers in hepatic and cardiac tissues (GSH and MDA), TGF-β1 and histopathological examination of hepatic and cardiac tissues were executed.

Results

The isolated stain produced EPS was identified as Streptomyces xiamenensis. EPS contains uronic, sulphate groups and different monosugars with Mw 4.65 × 10⁴ g/mol and showed antioxidant activity against DPPH. Pretreatment of rats with 1,8-cineole, EPS and EA improved ECG abnormalities, decrease serum markers of hepato- and cardiotoxicity, prevent oxidative stress and decrease TGF-β1 in liver and heart tissues.

Conclusion

The present results demonstrate the hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects of the above-mentioned natural products against CYC organ toxicity.

Cardioprotective effect of curcumin and piperine combination against cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity

OBJECTIVE

Curcumin is a well-established cardioprotective phytoconstituent, but the poor bioavailability associated with it is always a matter of therapeutic challenge. The present study was undertaken to increase the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin by combining with bio-enhancer like piperine against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats (n = 8) were treated with curcumin (200 mg/kg, p.o.) alone and different dose combination of curcumin (100, 50, 25 mg/kg, p.o.) and piperine (20 mg/kg, p.o.) for 10 days. All the treated groups were subjected to CP (200 mg/kg, i.p.) toxicity on day 1. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, the effects were evaluated by changes in electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters, serum biomarkers, lipid profile, tissue antioxidants, and histopathological examination. Serum and tissue homogenate parameters were measured by semi-autoanalyzer and spectrophotometer, respectively. Results obtained were assessed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey-Karmer multiple comparison test.

RESULTS

Incorporation of piperine with the doses of 50 and 25 mg/kg with curcumin exhibited significant beneficial effect compared to curcumin alone-treated group. The best effective group was a combination of curcumin 50 mg/kg with piperine 20 mg/kg which showed extremely significant (P < 0.001) decrease and increase in ECG and serum biomarker level, respectively, and moderate significant (P < 0.01) decrease in lipid profile, antioxidant levels, and histopathological score, compared to curcumin alone-treated group.

CONCLUSION

From this study, it can be concluded that a novel dose combination of curcumin (50 mg/kg) with piperine (20 mg/kg) exhibited profound cardioprotection compared to curcumin (200 mg/kg) alone-treated group.

Cardiorenal protective effect of taurine against cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in albino rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent used in the treatment of malignant diseases and autoimmune disorders. Its clinical use is limited to its marked cardiorenal toxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective role of taurine (Tau; 200 mg·kg^-1 per day, i.p.) on CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity. CP (200 mg·kg^-1) was administered as a single intraperitoneal injection whereas; Tau was administered for 3 weeks on a daily basis. The results showed that CP produced an elevation in serum activities of creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine as well as blood urea nitrogen. CP also induced an elevation in the oxidative stress markers viz. elevation in the serum lipid peroxides level (measured as malondialdehyde; MDA) and reduction in reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity in both heart and renal tissue. On the other hand, administration of Tau attenuated the CP-evoked disturbances in the above mentioned parameters. In addition, CP exhibited electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, which were significantly reversed by Tau treatment. Finally, the histopathological examination emphasized the obtained results. In conclusion, Tau is suggested to be a potential candidate to ameliorate CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity that may be related to its antioxidant activity.