Potential Effects of Pomegranate on Lipid Peroxidation and Pro‑inflammatory Changes in Daunorubicin‑induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats

Abstract

Background: Daunorubicin‑induced acute cardiotoxicity caused by oxidative stress and free radical formation. Pomegranate possessed a significant in vitro free radical scavenging
activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was estimations of the role of pomegranate effects in daunorubicin‑induced cardiotoxicity.

Methods: A total of 21 Sprague male rats were allocated into three groups, seven animals in each group. Group A: Control group received distilled water. Group B: Treated group with daunorubicin 20 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection daily for the 12th day for total cumulative dose of 240 mg/kg. Group C: Pretreatment group with pomegranate 25 mg/kg for 6 days orally, then daunorubicin 20 mg/kg administrated concomitantly for the next 6 days with a cumulative dose of 120 mg/kg.
Cardiac troponin I ([cTn I] pg/ml), malondialdehyde (MDA) (ng/ml), interleukin 17 (IL‑17 pg/ml), and cardiac lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (pm/ml), all these biomarkers were used to measure the severity of cardiotoxicity.

Results: Daunorubicin at a dose of 20 mg/kg lead to pronounced cardiac damage that reflected on through elevations of serum cTn and serum LDH levels significantly P < 0.01, it induced lipid
peroxidation during cardiotoxicity that reflected through an elevation in the serum MDA significantly P < 0.01, moreover, daunorubicin induces pro‑inflammatory changes in cardiotoxicity; it raises the IL‑17 serum level significantly P < 0.01 as compared with control. Pomegranate pretreatment demonstrated a significant cardioprotection from daunorubicin‑induced cardiotoxicity; it attenuated the cardiac damage through reduction of cTn, LDH, MDA, and serum IL‑17 level significantly
P < 0.01 as compared with daunorubicin‑treated group.

Conclusions: Pomegranate demonstrated significant cardioprotection in daunorubicin‑induced cardiotoxicity through reduction of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, pro‑inflammatory, and cardiac injury biomarkers.

Keywords: Cardiotoxicity, daunorubicin, pomegranate