Early alterations in heart gene expression profiles associated with doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in rats

Purpose The antineoplastic anthracycline doxorubicin can induce a dose-dependent cardiomyopathy that limits the total cumulative dose prescribed to cancer patients. In both preclinical and clinical studies, pretreatment with dexrazoxane, an intracellular iron chelator, partially protects against anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy. To identify potential additional cardioprotective treatment strategies, we investigated early doxorubicin-induced changes in cardiac gene expression.