R-(-)-carvone Attenuated Doxorubicin Induced Cardiotoxicity In Vivo and Potentiated Its Anticancer Toxicity In Vitro

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most potent broad-spectrum antitumor and chemotherapeutic agents. However, it produces cardiotoxicity.

To investigate whether (R)-(-)-carvone exerts cardioprotective effect against DOX toxicity in vivo and in vitro.

Tissue culture and animal study.

The synergistic effect of (R)-(-)-carvone with DOX was evaluated in MCF7 cancer cell line while its protective effect against doxorubicin (DOX) toxicity was evaluated in normal heart cell line (H9C2) and in vivo. Furthermore, the mechanism of its cardioprotective effect was studied.

(R)-(-)-carvone exerted cytotoxic action on MCF7 cancer cell line with IC₅₀ value of 14.22 μM and potentiated the cytotoxic action of DOX while it decreased the toxicity of DOX on normal heart cell line (H9C2). In BALB/c mice, (R)-(-)-carvone protected the heart from the toxic action of DOX as was evident by biochemical and histological studies. The protective effect of (R)-(-)-carvone on H9C2 heart cell line and on heart in vivo was due to an increase in catalase activity.

(R)-(-)-carvone has synergistic anticancer action with DOX on MCF7 cell line while decreasing its cardiotoxicity.