The protective effect of α-lipoic acid in doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity in rats.
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Abstract
This study examined the protective effects of α-lipoic acid in rats exposed to a cardiotoxic dose of the widely used chemotherapy agent doxorubicin. α-Lipoic acid significantly enhanced the survival of rats exposed to a lethal dose of doxorubicin (p<0.001). Morbidity was proportionally higher in rats treated with doxorubicin alone in contrast to rats treated with both doxorubicin and α-lipoic acid (p<0.001). Heart weights of rats treated with both α-lipoic acid and doxorubicin were similar to that of control rats, and controlling for whole body weight yielded similar results (p<0.001). α-Lipoic acid significantly reduced the cardiac microscopic damage caused by doxorubicin in rats (p<0.001). Representative micrographs supported a high degree of ultrastructural preservation in doxorubicin treated rats upon concomitant treatment with α-lipoic acid. The conclusion of this study is that α-lipoic acid is effective in protecting rats from doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity.