Protective Effect of Quercetin Against Oxidative Stress-induced Toxicity Associated With Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide in Rat Kidney and Liver Tissue

Abstract

Introduction: Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide are widely used anticancer drugs with substantial toxicity in noncancerous tissue resulting from oxidative damage. Quercetin is a potent antioxidant compound. We hypothesized that quercetin administration would ameliorate the toxic effects of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide prior to pregnancy.

Materials and methods: Cyclophosphamide, 27 mg/kg, and doxorubicin, 1.8 mg/kg, were administered to rats as intraperitoneal doses once every 3 weeks for a total of 10 weeks with or without concurrent treatment with quercetin, 10 mg/kg/d. Oxidative stress parameters were evaluated in maternal kidney and liver tissues after gestation.

Results: Doxorubicin was associated with elevated kidney tissue malondialdehyde relative to the controls and quercetin only treatment (P < .05). Both cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin were associated with elevated malondialdehyde levels in the liver tissue (P < .05). Doxorubicin treatment was associated with decreased liver glutathione peroxidase (P < .05). Quercetin treatment suppressed the accumulation of malondialdehyde and increased glutathione peroxidase levels during doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide treatment (P <.05) Conclusions. Treatment with quercetin in patients receiving doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide results in therapeutic restoration of homeostatic expression of the antioxidant parameters, reducing oxidative damage to the liver and kidney.