Antioxidant agent nimesulid and beta-blocker metoprolol do not exert protective effects against rat mitochondrial DNA alterations in adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity

Possible protective effects of two therapeutical agents (nimesulid and meto prolol) in adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity were examined in rat cardiomyo cytes at the mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) level. Analysis by PCR revealed the presence of multiple deletions in a large region of the long are of mt DNA which codes for several important genes involved in oxidative phosphorylat ion, in all animals under drug administration. No differences were found in the frequency of defective mt DNA between the animals that received only a driamycin (83%, 10/12), nimesulid and adriamycin (92%, 13/14), or metoprolo l and adriamycin (80, 12/15) (p = 0.004). (C) 1999 Academic Press.