IS LIPOPEROXIDATION PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT CAUSATIVE ROLE IN ADRIAMYCIN-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY ?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the lipoperoxidation is playing a significant causative role in adramycin cardiomyopathy.
Cardiac alterations with characteristic histologic changes such as vacuolizations of myocardial cells, myolysis and the interstitial fibrosis developped in rabbits when 2. 5 mg/kg of adriamycin was intravenously administered once a week for 8 weeks. Blood and cardiac malondialdehyde was significantly increased in these animals. Although daily administrations of 50 mg/kg of alpha tocopherol, a free radical scavenger, obviously suppressed the increase of blood and cardiac malondialdehyde, the development of cardiac lesions could not be prevented by this drug.
The present observations may suggest that the lipoperoxidation is a result and not a cause of adriamycin cardiomyopathy.