Mechanistic clues to the protective effect of chrysin against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy: Plausible roles of p53, MAPK and AKT pathways

Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 6;7(1):4795. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05005-9.

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX) is the mainstay chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of human neoplasmas. However, its clinical utility is limited by its marked cardiotoxicity. Chrysin, is a natural flavone which possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The current study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of chrysin against DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either DOX (5 mg/kg, once a week) and/or chrysin (50 mg/kg, four times a week) for four weeks. Chrysin prevented DOX-induced cardiomyopathy which was evident by conduction abnormalities, elevated serum CKMB and LDH and histopathological changes. Chrysin also ameliorated DOX-induced oxidative stress by decreasing lipid peroxidation and upregulating the antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, chrysin attenuated DOX-induced apoptosis via decreasing expression of p53, Bax, Puma, Noxa, cytochrome c and caspase-3 while increasing expression of Bcl-2. DOX induced activation of MAPK; p38 and JNK and increased expression of NF-κB. Meanwhile, DOX suppressed AKT pathway via decreasing expression of its upstream activator VEGF and increasing expression of PTEN. Conversely, chrysin effectively neutralised all these effects. Collectively, these findings indicate that chrysin effectively protected against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy via suppressing oxidative stress, p53-dependent apoptotic pathway, MAPK and NF-κB pathways while augmenting the VEGF/AKT pathway.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Cardiomyopathies / chemically induced
  • Cardiomyopathies / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathies / pathology
  • Cardiomyopathies / prevention & control*
  • Cardiotonic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cardiotoxicity / prevention & control
  • Caspase 3 / genetics
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cytochromes c / genetics
  • Cytochromes c / metabolism
  • Doxorubicin / toxicity
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / genetics
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Bax protein, rat
  • Bbc3 protein, rat
  • Cardiotonic Agents
  • Flavonoids
  • NF-kappa B
  • Pmaip1 protein, rat
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat
  • chrysin
  • Doxorubicin
  • Cytochromes c
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Casp3 protein, rat
  • Caspase 3