Turkish Propolis Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Cardiac Damage Caused by Doxorubicin in Rats

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 299 - 308, 31.05.2025

Selma Cırrık , Emel Kabartan Çökeli , Gulay Hacıoğlu , Emine Gülçeri Güleç Peker

https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1480780

Abstract

Project Number

A2006

Turkish Propolis Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Cardiac Damage Caused by Doxorubicin in Rats

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the effects of propolis extracted with ethanol (EPE) or olive oil (OPE) on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress in doxorubicin (DXR)-induced cardiac damage in rats.
Materials and Methods: Six groups of Sprague‒Dawley rats were used in this research: Control, EPE, OPE, DXR, EPE+DXR, and OPE+DXR. The extracts were administered orally for two weeks (50 mg/kg/day), and DXR was injected 48 hours before sacrifice (15 mg/kg). Cardiac malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT) activity were assayed spectrophotometrically, while cardiac glucose-regulated protein (GRP)-78, pro-caspase 12, and serum troponin I levels were determined via ELISA.
Results: The DXR group presented elevated serum troponin I, indicating cardiac injury, increased MDA, decreased CAT activity, and reduced GSH, indicating oxidative stress, along with elevated GRP78 and decreased pro-caspase 12, indicating ER stress. Pretreatment with EPE or OPE significantly prevented DXR-induced increases in troponin I and MDA, as well as decreases in GSH, CAT activity, and pro-caspase 12, but did not significantly alter cardiac GRP78 levels. Compared with the EPE+DXR group, the OPE+DXR group presented higher levels of CAT activity (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Pretreatment with EPE or OPE may provide protection against DXR-induced cardiotoxicity by suppressing both oxidative and ER stress.

Keywords

Ethanol , olive oil , GRP78 , pro-caspase 12 , MDA , cardiac injury , propolis

Ethical Statement

This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Experiments Ethics Committee of Ordu University (Date: 11.01.2023, Decision No: 2023/09).

Supporting Institution

Ordu University

Project Number

A2006

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