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ADR group animals was further confirmed by the echocardiogfaphy data which showed a
significant decrease in the cardiac ouþut and left ventricular mass, indicating the
decompensation of cardiac function'
The administration of adriamycin also resulted in a decrease in animal body
weight. The decrease in body weight of animals became significant during the second
week of the treatment and continued throughout the third and fourth week after the first
injection i.e. first and second week post-treatment. At three-week post-treatment, there
was an increase in total body weight, however, these ADR group animals never achieved
the weight comparable to the CONT group. The gain in body weight at 3-week posttreatment
can be attributed to the development of ascites. The maximum decrease in body
weight of adriamycin treated animals was seen immediately following the completion of
treatment with adriamycin. These data arc in agreement with other studies (Li et al. 2000;
Siveski-Iliskovic et al. 1994; Siveski-Iliskovic et al' 1995).
III. The occurrence of oxidative stress and apoptosis
Apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes exposed to adriamycin were
assessed using an annexin and propidium iodide assay as well as CM-H2 DCFDA probe
staining respectively. Treatment with adriamycin caused a significant increase in
oxidative stress and this was accompanied by a significant increase in the number of
apoptotic cells. Treatment with antioxidant trolox in ADR+TROL group resulted in a
significant decrease in the level of oxidative stress which correlated with a significant
decrease in the occurïence of apoptosis due to adriamycin. This confirmed that
antioxidant properties of trolox effectively prevented the occurrence of adriamycininduced
apoptosis.
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