title: The cardioprotective effects of L-carnitine on rat cardiac injury, apoptosis, and oxidative stress caused by amethopterin.
abstract: Amethopterin is used as a chemotherapeutic agent, and its antioxidant activity is used to treat many cancer types. This study aimed to study the ameliorating effect of L-carnitine against amethopterin-induced cardiac injury and oxidative stress in male rats. Sixty male albino rats were equally divided into six groups; the first and second groups were the control and L-carnitine groups, respectively, while the third group was treated with amethopterin rat group; the fourth and fifth groups were co-treated and post-treated with amethopterin rat with L-carnitine, respectively, and the sixth group was self-treated with amethopterin rat group. Cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), glutathione, and total protein levels in amethopterin group showed a significant decrease when compared with control group, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, and nitric oxide (NO) levels in amethopterin group showed a significant increase when compared with control group. Cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, GOT, MDA, and catalase levels in the self-treated group showed a significant increase when compared with amethopterin group, while glutathione, total protein, and NO levels in the self-treated group showed significant decrease when compared with amethopterin group. Many of abnormalities as moderate hydrophobic changes of myofibrillar structure with striations, myocardial atrophy, cytoplasmic vacuoles, edema, and leukocyte infiltration were detected in cardiac tissues in amethopterin rat group. A significant increase of the apoptotic protein p53 and CD68 immunoreactivity, despite a significant decrease in the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins after amethopterin injection when compared with control group, was observed. Treatment (co and post) with L-carnitine improved the biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical alterations in the heart treated with amethopterin.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, El-Baher Street, Tanta, 31527, Egypt. toussonehab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ehab
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tousson
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, El-Baher Street, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ezar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, El-Baher Street, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
authors.forename: Somia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, El-Baher Street, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D066126:Cardiotoxicity; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000633:toxicity*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005978:Glutathione; D002331:Carnitine; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Amethopterin; Apoptotic markers; CD68; Heart; L-carnitine; Oxidative stress