title: Protective effect of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) against doxorubicin-induced oxidative cardiotoxicity in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent. It is associated with serious dose-limiting cardiotoxicity, which is at least partly caused by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Supplementations with bilberries were effective in reducing oxidative stress in many tissue injuries due their high content of antioxidants. The present study investigated the potential protective effect of bilberry extract against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were treated orally with a methanolic extract of bilberry for 10 days. DOX was injected intraperitoneally on day 7. Twenty-four hours after the last bilberry administration, rats were subjected to ECG study. Blood was then withdrawn and cardiac tissues were dissected for assessment of oxidative stress and cardiac tissue injury. Cardiac tissues were also subjected to histopathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bilberry extract significantly inhibited DOX-provoked reduced glutathione depletion and accumulation of oxidized glutathione, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls in cardiac tissues. This was accompanied by significant amelioration of reduced cardiac catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities; and increased cardiac myeloperoxidase activity in response to DOX challenge. Pretreatment with bilberry significantly guarded against DOX-induced increase in serum activities of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase and creatine kinase-MB, as well as the level of troponin I. Bilberry alleviated ECG changes in rats treated with DOX and attenuated its pathological changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bilberry protects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. This can be attributed, at least in part, to its antioxidant activity.
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Osama M
authors: OM
authors: Ashour
authors: Ahmed A
authors: AA
authors: Elberry
authors: Abdulrahman
authors: A
authors: Alahdal
authors: Ameen M
authors: AM
authors: Al Mohamadi
authors: Ayman A
authors: AA
authors: Nagy
authors: Ashraf B
authors: AB
authors: Abdel-Naim
authors: Essam A
authors: EA
authors: Abdel-Sattar
authors: Ahmed M
authors: AM
authors: Mohamadin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014463:Ultrasonography; D029800:Vaccinium myrtillus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005978:Glutathione