Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity: An animal model

9673 Background:Cardiac side effects of several antineoplastic drugs are dose-limiting and dose-dependent, thus they are a limitation to the optimal delivery of dose-intensive chemotherapy. Aim of present study was to construct a model to evaluate cardiac damage after chemotherapy. Methods: 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats, about 7 weeks old and weighing 200–225 g were divided into two groups: one group of 30 rats, each animal receiving 5Fluoruracil, 20 mg/kg/wk by intraperitoneal injection, Epirubicin, 3 mg/kg/wk by intravenous injection, Cyclophosphamide, 20 mg/kg/wk by intraperitoneal injection once weekly for 3 consecutive weeks (FEC group) and a second group of 15 rats receiving no drugs (Control group). Observation for mortality and clinical signs was carried out daily, body weight and blood pressure were recorded basally, before each drug administration and weekly until sacrifice. 15 animals, 10 in the FEC group and 5 in the control group, were sacrificed at weeks 3, 5 and 6 after the end of treatment. ...