Abstract
Trazodone (TRZ) is an antidepressant drug which widely used to treat insomnia, but it has a cardiotoxic effect which considered one of the TRZ limitations. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of L-carnitine in rats against TRZ-induced cardiotoxicity, as well as to look into the molecular mechanisms underlying its cardioprotective effects via autophagy-mediated cell death and oxidative stress. Male albino rats were randomized into four experimental groups (n = 8): normal control, TRZ group (TRZ, 20 mg/kg/day), L-carnitine group (LC, 200 mg/kg/day), and Co-treated group (L-carnitine and TRZ). All treatments were administered via oral gavage for 4 weeks. Cardiac enzymes (AST & CK-MB) and serum cardiac troponin T(cTnI) were assessed. Oxidative stress biomarkers in heart tissue (malondialdehyde; MDA, total thiol, and catalase activity) were measured. Autophagy related-genes (ATG-5 and Beclin-1), P62, and TNF-α were quantified. AST and CK-MB and cTnI significantly (p < 0.001) were increased with enhanced autophagy as well as severe histopathological changes which were manifested as scattered chronic inflammatory cells with focal fragmentation of myocardial fibers and loss of nuclei in TRZ-treated group. However, daily administration of L-carnitine (200 mg/kg) for 28 days completely reversed TRZ-induced the increased cardiac enzymes, autophagy, and myocardial inflammatory processes to the normal values. TRZ administration might have the potential to cause cardiotoxic effects that can be treated with L-carnitine administration.