Browsing by Author "Scott, Kirsten Lee"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The potential toxic effects of chronic doxorubicin treatment on the rat pancreas and the role of ghrelin in this context
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Scott, Kirsten Lee; Sishi, Balindiwe J. N.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Physiological Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Doxorubicin (DOX), is a chemotherapeutic drug that has potent anti-neoplastic actions. It is for this reason that it remains one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents that has led to an increase in the survival rates of cancer patients. However, DOX’s efficacy in treating a variety of cancers is a double-edged sword due to its cumulative, dose-dependent toxicity, particularly in cardiomyocytes. Since DOX’s anti-neoplastic activities are separate to the mechanisms underlying its toxicity, there is a need to investigate adjuvant therapies that do not interfere with DOX’s ability to kill cancerous cells, but have the potential to protect against its toxicity. Ghrelin, a brain-peptide commonly known for its appetite inducing and growth hormone (GH) releasing actions, has previously been shown to reduce oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis, all of which contribute to DOX-induced toxicity, in different contexts. However, over the years, literature has predominantly focused on DOX’s effects on the heart, while very few studies are available regarding DOX’s effects on the pancreas. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of DOX on the pancreas and whether ghrelin can provide protection against these effects in a model of chronic DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley were randomly divided into four treatment groups. The vehicle group received 200 μl of physiological saline, the ghrelin group received 100 μg/kg three times a week, the DOX group received 2.5 mg/kg once a week, and the combination group (DOX+ghrelin) received both treatment regimens. All treatments were conducted via intraperitoneal injection over a period of eight weeks. A week after the last injection, animals were euthanised, blood was collected, and organs were harvested. After the pancreata were weighed, they were non-specifically divided into two sections, where one half was presevered in 4% formaldehyde solution for histological analysis, and the other half was snap frozen in liquid nitrogen for biochemical analysis. Serum inflammatory markers as well as pancreatic hormones insulin and glucagon were measured using a multiplex assay. General morphological changes, collagen deposition, and the number of α- and β-cells were assessed by employing H&E, Masson’s Trichrome, and immunohistochemical stains, respectively. In addition to lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress was assessed by the ORAC, SOD and glutathione assays. Finally, Western blotting was utilised to determine the expression of the apoptotic marker, cleaved caspase-3. Results: Following eight weeks of treatment, DOX significantly reduced appetite (152.95 ± 10.23 g, p<0.05) and weight gain (186.88 ± 10.35 g, p<0.0001) when compared to the saline treated animals. Ghrelin, in the presence of DOX did not significantly differ when compared to the DOX treated group. DOX caused significant collagen deposition which is an indication of fibrosis in the pancreas of these animals (4.80 ± 0.78%, p<0.0001), whereas DOX+ghrelin significantly reduced collagenous areas (2.22 ± 0.39%, p<0.001) when compared to the DOX group. Our oxidative stress analyses revealed that both the DOX (0.51 ± 0.028 μmol TE/g, p<0.01) and DOX+ghrelin (0.47 ± 0.01 μmol TE/g, p<0.05) groups considerably increased their anti-oxidant capacity when compared to the vehicle (0.37 ± 0.05 μmol TE/g). Moreover, SOD activity was significantly downregulated in both the DOX (1.49 ± 0.18 U/mg, p<0.01) and DOX+ghrelin (1.54 ± 0.12 U/mg) groups when compared to the vehicle. Cleaved caspase 3 was also elevated during DOX treatment but reduced in the combination group. No other noteworthy changes were observed in any of the other parameters measured. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that DOX is a cytotoxic agent that induces a loss of appetite and detrimental effects such as oxidative stress, fibrosis and cell death in pancreatic tissue. The use of ghrelin as an adjuvant treatment in this context was beneficial as weight gain was promoted, while fibrosis and cell death were reduced. Although the exact mechanisms underlying ghrelin’s orexigenic effects are still unknown, it is believed that ghrelin acts through the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to promote appetite. Ghrelin’s anti-fibrotic effects are induced through the downregulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines, while apoptosis is prevented via the inhibition of cytochrome c leakage from the mitochondria. Since ghrelin had no effect in improving the activity of SOD, its anti-oxidant effects could not be proved in this tissue. In conclusion, while these results shed some light into understanding the mechanisms by which ghrelin counteracts DOX’s effects, further research is necessary to assess ghrelin’s potential as an adjuvant treatment regimen for DOX-induced pancreatic injury.