Treatment Of Albino Rats With Oltipraz (4-MethyL-5-PyrazinyL-3H-1,2-Dithiole-3-Thione Protects Against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin is an anthracycline group of antibiotics that is frequently used in the treatment of various human neoplasias clinically. However, its adverse effect on the human heart is of major concern and limits its full clinical utilization. The present study was undertaken to alleviate the doxorubicin-induced myocardial toxicity by oltipraz an Nrf-2 inducer in albino rats. The albino rats were orally administered with 10 mg/kg body weight of oltipraz daily for three days before treatment with 15 mg/kg body weight of doxorubicin. The doxorubicin-induced myocardial stress indicated by an increase in the CK-MB activity, and lipid peroxidation accompanied by a reduction in the glutathione, glutathione-s-transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase in the rat heart. The administration of 10 mg/kg oltipraz for three days before doxorubicin treatment reduced the CK-MB activity and lipid peroxidation significantly followed by the significant elevation in the activities of glutathione-s-transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase and glutathione in the rat heart. Our study demonstrates that oltipraz an Nrf-2 inducer reduced doxorubicin-induced myocardial stress in the rats.