This study investigated the combined effects of trans fat diet (TFD) and doxorubicin upon cardiac oxidative, inflammatory, and coagulatory stress. TFD increased trans fatty acid deposit in heart (P < 0.05), and decreased protein C and antithrombin-III activities in circulation (P < 0.05). TFD plus doxorubicin treatment elevated activities of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase (P < 0.05). This combination also raised xanthine oxidase activity, and enhanced cardiac levels of reactive oxygen species, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 than TFD or doxorubicin treatment alone (P < 0.05). TFD alone increased cardiac nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity (P < 0.05), but failed to affect expression of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (P > 0.05). Doxorubicin treatment alone augmented cardiac activity, mRNA expression, and protein production of NF-κB and MAPK (P < 0.05). TFD plus doxorubicin treatment further upregulated cardiac expression of NF-κB p65, p-p38, and p-ERK1/2 (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that TFD exacerbates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
Preventive effects of ellagic acid against doxorubicin-induced cardiac oxidative, inflammatory and apoptotic stress were examined. This agent at 0.25, 0.5 or 1% was added in feed and supplied to mice for 8 weeks, and followed by doxorubicin treatment. Ellagic acid intake increased its deposit in heart. Pre-intake of this compound at 0.5 and 1% significantly attenuated doxorubicin caused increase in plasma creatine phosphokinase activity. Doxorubicin treatment decreased glutathione content, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, declined glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and enhanced xanthine oxidases (XO) activity in heart. Ellagic acid intake dose-dependently reserved glutathione content, lowered ROS and MDA levels, and reduced XO activity. This compound at 0.5 and 1% retained GPX and SOD activities, and decreased cytokines in heart. Doxorubicin treatment raised cardiac activity and protein production of caspase-3, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p50 and p65. Ellagic acid dose-dependently lowered caspase-3 activity and cleaved caspase-3 formation, and at 0.5 and 1% declined activity and protein level of NF-κB. Doxorubicin treatment also up-regulated cardiac expression of p-p38, p-ERK 1/2 and p-JNK, and ellagic acid at 0.5 and 1% suppressed p-p38 expression and at 1% down-regulated p-ERK 1/2 expression. These findings suggest that ellagic acid is a potent cardiac protective agent against doxorubicin.