Propolis Protective Effects Against Doxorubicin-Induced Multi-Organ Toxicity via Suppression of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis, and Histopathological Alterations in Female Albino Rats

Doxorubicin (DOX) is effective chemotherapy in several malignancies, but large-scale toxicities limit its clinical usefulness. Propolis has been reported to exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. We aim to assess the protective efficacy of propolis against DOX-induced multi-toxicity in female rats. Forty female rats were divided into four groups: control group; Group (P) were administrated oral propolis (100 mg/kg once daily for 28 days); Group (P+DOX) were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of DOX (20 mg/kg i.p at 24th day after the propolis administration) and group (DOX) were injected with doxorubicin only. Estimation of cardiac, renal and hepatic injury markers, apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines were done using sera. Also, liver and heart tissue samples were collected to determine GSH and MDA as oxidative stress markers. In addition to histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of Cytochrome-C and Connexin43 on lysed myocardium, liver, kidney and lung tissues. Doxorubicin toxicity caused marked deteriorations of measured parameters through the different mechanisms in different body organs. However, pre-treatment with propolis significantly ameliorated these alterations. Thus propolis can ameliorate the DOX-induced experimental multi-toxicity as cardiomyopathy, hepatotoxicity, nephritis and pneumonia. Thus, it could be a promising protective agent in DOX treatment protocols.