Influence of agents with antineoplastic activity - doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide - on structural reorganization of the rat myocardium and cardiomyocyte number

Structural reorganization of rat myocardium under the impact of anticancer agents (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) was studied. It is shown that both cytostatics cause necrobiotic cardiomyocyte damages and their death resulting in decrease of heart mass and reduction in the total number of cardiomyocytes, especially under doxorubicin treatment. At the same time cytostatic treatment causes not only cardiomyocyte damage, but also induces development of regenerative processes (kariokinesis and cytokinesis are revealed) that are more significant after cyclophosphamide treatment. To estimate regenerative potential of myocardium during postchemotherapy period, the complex approach is recommended, it includes analysis of cardiomyocyte mitotic activity, variations of percentage of mono- and binucleated cells, intensity of intracellular regenerative reactions. The possibility revealed restoring cardiomyocyte total number in the heart after cardiotoxic medications may promote development of new technologies for stimulating cardiac cell regeneration in heart pathology.