A short-time model to study relevant indices of cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin in the rat

Abstract

Aim: Short-time models (STM) to study the cardiotoxicity (acute or chronic) of doxorubicin in rats are of interest to assess protective interventions and pathways. STM promotes more ethical animal treatment with less stress, and at a lower cost compared to established long-time models (LTM). We wanted to investigate if an STM of 9 d yields the same information regarding cardiotoxicity as an LTM of 9 weeks.

Methods: Male Wistar rats received identical drug administration protocols in STM and LTM. The two intervention groups (n = 6) received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 2 mg/kg doxorubicin every day for five consecutive days, with a total cumulative dose of 10 mg/kg. The two control groups (n = 6), received an equivalent volume of saline injected every day for five consecutive days. Hearts from STM and LTM were excised and Langendorff-perfused after 9 d or 9 weeks, respectively, after the first drug injection. Cardiotoxicity was assessed in paced Langendorff hearts by a release of hydrogenperoxide (H₂O₂) and troponin T (TnT) in effluent, by myocardial accumulation of doxorubicin and its metabolite doxorubicinol, and by physiological parameters recorded during pressure, or volume-regulated perfusion.

Results: In STM, hearts exposed to doxorubicin demonstrated a 15% reduction in left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) irrespective of flow mode, and a 13% increase in aortic pressure (AoP), during volume-regulated perfusion, an index of coronary resistance, compared to controls. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was increased by 72% during pressure-regulated perfusion and 100% during volume-regulated perfusion in STM. In LTM, hearts exposed to doxorubicin demonstrated a 40% reduction in LVDP during pressure-regulated perfusion and a 20% reduction during volume-regulated perfusion. LVEDP was 70% higher in doxorubicin-treated hearts during pressure-regulated perfusion and 80% higher during volume-regulated perfusion. In addition, aortic pressure was increased by 30% during volume-regulated perfusion. In both STM and LTM, hearts exposed to doxorubicin demonstrated a higher H₂O₂ and TnT release, compared to respective controls. The difference was most pronounced in STM. Myocardial content of doxorubicin was detectable in both STM and LTM. However, doxorubicinol was only detectable in STM.

Conclusion: STM is comparable to LTM to study relevant indices of cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin in rat hearts. Biochemical differences are more pronounced in STM, while contractile differences are more pronounced in LTM. STM could be a preferred model for preliminary studies of protective interventions.

• Cardiotoxicity
• doxorubicin
• doxorubicinol
• heart
• hydrogenperoxide
• rat
• reactive oxygen species
• troponin