Protective effect of thymoquinone against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and the underlying mechanism

Ferroptosis is a key process in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity and is a potentially important therapeutic target. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a monoterpenoid compound isolated from black cumin extract that exhibits antitumor effects and acts as a powerful mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant. In this study, we investigated the effect of TQ on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and the potential underlying mechanisms.

Mice were randomly assigned to the control (CON) group, DOX (20 mg/kg) group, TQ10 (10 mg/kg/d) group, and TQ20 (20 mg/kg/d) group and intraperitoneally injected with DOX and different doses of TQ. The electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and cardiac ultrasound changes during the experiments showed that TQ exerted a protective effect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels in the mouse heart tissue were significantly different from those in the CON group. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) in the DOX group was lower than that in the control group. TQ treatment decreased these changes, indicating that TQ alleviated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and increased the antioxidant capacity of murine cardiomyocytes. The mechanism might involve activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and reducing iron-mediated death. Immunohistochemical staining revealed similar effects on the expression levels of NQO1, COX-2, and NOX4. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy indicated that TQ protected murine cardiomyocytes against DOX-induced mitochondrial damage.

The results of this study suggested that TQ can decrease oxidative stress levels and DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to alleviate ferroptosis in murine cardiomyocytes.