Histopathological Evaluation of Erythropoietin's Protective Effect Against Doxorubicin-Induced Hepatotoxicity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32947/ajps.v25i2.1150Keywords:
Doxorubicin, Erythropoietin, hepatotoxicityAbstract
Doxorubicin is an effective broad-spectrum anticancer drug; however, hepatotoxicity limits its clinical usage. Erythropoietin, a glycoprotein hormone primarily recognized for its crucial function in promoting erythropoiesis. Recently, it has been shown that it possesses significant cytoprotective effects in several organs, including the liver, heart, and brain.
The objective of this study was to assess the hepatoprotective properties of erythropoietin in the context of doxorubicin-induced liver injury.
Thirty-six male Wistar rats were separated into six groups: a negative control group and an induction group administered with doxorubicin. Additionally, there were three groups that received pretreatment with erythropoietin at three different doses (1000, 3000, and 6000 IU/kg), and a group that received conventional treatment and was pretreated with silymarin (100mg/kg). Liver samples were then collected on day 9 of the experiment from each group for histopathological examination.
Results showed that the induction group, treated with doxorubicin, revealed signs of doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity that include hepatocellular necrosis, severe zonal hepatic degeneration, congestion, and inflammation. On the other side, groups pre-treated with erythropoietin in all three doses revealed pronounced improvement in liver morphology especially at the higher doses used. In conclusion, erythropoietin pre-treatment can mitigate the hepatotoxicity induced by doxorubicin in a manner that is dependent on the dose, and it was more effective than the conventional therapy silymarin especially at the highest dose used.
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