Resistance Training Protects against Cardiac Damage in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapy agent.
• DOX causes dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, potentially leading to heart failure.
• Protecting the heart during DOX treatment is a critical clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if resistance training (RT) can mitigate doxorubicin-induced cardiac damage.
• To examine the effects of RT on proteins regulating muscle anabolism, catabolism, and mitochondrial dynamics in the left ventricle.
• To assess RT's impact on DOX cardiotoxicity markers.

Main Methods:

• Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control, DOX/sedentary, and DOX/RT groups.
• DOX or saline was administered daily for ten days.
• RT involved ladder climbing with weights for eight weeks, starting concurrently with DOX administration.

Main Results:

• RT significantly reduced mortality and prevented cardiac fiber atrophy and fibrosis caused by DOX.
• RT mitigated cardiomyocyte ultrastructural damage, including sarcomere misalignment and mitochondrial injury.
• RT modulated proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics, increasing PGC1α expression and affecting Mfn2 and FIS1 levels.

Conclusions:

• Resistance training demonstrates potential as a protective strategy against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
• RT may protect the heart by modulating proteins associated with mitochondrial dynamics.
• Further research can explore RT's clinical application in cancer patients undergoing DOX therapy.