To investigate the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on adriamycin chemotherapy-induced myocardial damage in rats.

Twenty-four healthy male Wistar rats, aged 3 months, weighing 212–270 g, were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 6 each) using a random number table: control group (group C), adriamycin group (group ADM), adriamycin-propofol group (group ADM-Pro), and adriamycin-sevoflurane group (group ADM-Sevo). The equal volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally in group C. In group ADM, adriamycin 2.5 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally once every other day for 6 times (11 days in total). In group ADM-Pro, adriamycin 2.5 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally once every other day for 6 times, and at 3 days after the last administration of adriamycin, propofol anesthesia was performed as follows: the total amount of propofol injected intraperitoneally was 200 mg/kg, the initial dose was 100 mg/kg, and 1 h later the remaining amount was added, and the duration of anesthesia was about 2 h. In group ADM-Sevo, adriamycin 2.5 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally once every other day for 6 times, and at 3 days after the last administration of adriamycin, sevoflurane anesthesia was performed as follows: 1.5%–3.0% sevoflurane was inhaled for 2 h. After the end of anesthesia, blood samples were collected for determination of serum cardiac troponin (cTnI) concentrations.Myocardial specimens were collected for detection of caspase-3 expression by immuno-histochemistry.

Compared with group C, the serum cTnI concentration was significantly increased, and the caspase-3 expression was up-regulated in ADM, ADM-Pro and ADM-Sevo groups (P<0.05). Compared with group ADM, the serum cTnI concentration was significantly decreased, and the caspase-3 expression was down-regulated in ADM-Pro and ADM-Sevo groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between group ADM-Pro and group ADM-Sevo (P>0.05).

Propofol and sevoflurane both can mitigate adriamycin chemotherapy-induced myocardial damage in rats, without significant difference in the efficacy.

Doxorubicin; Propofol; Anesthetics, inhalation; Drug toxicity