title: May toxicity of amiodarone be prevented by antioxidants? A cell-culture study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial Fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia encountered following cardiac surgery. The most commonly administered drug used in treatment and prophylaxis is amiodarone which has several toxic effects on major organ functions. There are few clinical data concerning prevention of toxic effects and there is no routinely suggested agent. The aim of this study is to document the cytotoxic effects of amiodarone on cell culture media and compare the cytoprotective effects of commonly used antioxidant agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  L929 mouse fibroblast cell line was cultured and 100,000 cells/well-plate were obtained. First group of cells were treated with increasing concentrations of amiodarone (20 to 180 μM) alone. Second and third group of cells were incubated with one-fold equimolar dose of vitamin C and N-acetyl cysteine prior to amiodarone exposure. The viability of cells were measured by MTT assay and the cytoprotective effect of each agent was compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cytotoxicity of amiodarone was significant with concentrations of 100 μM and more. The viabilities of both vitamin C and N-acetyl cysteine treated cells were higher compared to untreated cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin C and N-acetyl cysteine are commonly used in the clinical setting for different purposes in context of their known antioxidant actions. Their role in prevention of amiodarone induced cytotoxicity is not fully documented. The study fully demonstrates the cytoprotective role of both agents in amiodarone induced cytotoxicity on cell culture media; more pronounced with vitamin C in some concentrations. The findings may be projectile for further clinical studies.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medicana International Ankara Hospital, Eskisehir Yolu Uzeri, Sogutozu, Ankara, 06520, Turkey. barisdurukan@yahoo.com
authors: Ahmet Baris
authors: AB
authors: Durukan
authors: Beril
authors: B
authors: Erdem
authors: Elif
authors: E
authors: Durukan
authors: Handan
authors: H
authors: Sevim
authors: Tugce
authors: T
authors: Karaduman
authors: Hasan Alper
authors: HA
authors: Gurbuz
authors: Aylin
authors: A
authors: Gurpinar
authors: Cem
authors: C
authors: Yorgancioglu
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D000638:Amiodarone; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D000111:Acetylcysteine