The protective effects of silymarin against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in rats

Molecules. 2011 Oct 12;16(10):8601-13. doi: 10.3390/molecules16108601.

Abstract

Silymarin is a complex of five major compounds, and silibinin is the most biologically active component of the complex. The aim of this study was to investigate, evaluate and confirm the potential cardioprotective and hepatoprotective effects of administration of silymarin, rich in silibinin, at a dose of 60 mg/kg orally for a time-span of 12 days on doxorubicin induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. The in vivo model was used to explore whether silymarin could prevent damage of liver and heart tissue induced by doxorubicin administered every other day at dose of 1.66 mg/kg intraperitoneally for twelve days. In the study the change of body weight, ECG changes, biochemical parameters of oxidative stress, serum activity of alanine and aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and histological preparations of heart and liver samples of treated animals were examined. According to physiological, pharmacological, microscopic and biochemical results, we confirmed that at the examined dose, silymarin exhibits a protective influence on the heart and liver tissue against toxicity induced by doxorubicin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Cardiotonic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cardiotoxins / toxicity*
  • Doxorubicin / toxicity*
  • Heart / drug effects
  • Heart Diseases / chemically induced
  • Heart Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Heart Diseases / pathology
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Liver Diseases / pathology
  • Male
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Silybin
  • Silybum marianum
  • Silymarin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Cardiotonic Agents
  • Cardiotoxins
  • Plant Extracts
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Silymarin
  • Silybin
  • Doxorubicin