Antioxidants
Possible Helpful Interactions
It is hypothesized that many of the side effects of doxorubicin occur through the production of free radicals, dangerous substances that can harm many cells.
Antioxidants
scavenge or quench free radicals. On this basis, a number of antioxidants have been proposed as a treatment for reducing doxorubicin toxicity. Unfortunately, while some evidence of benefit has been seen in animal studies, at present there is inadequate supporting evidence from human trials.
For example, while
vitamin E
has shown promise for preventing cardiac toxicity in animal studies, it has persistently failed to prove effective in people.
9-12
The supplement
melatonin
has also shown some promise in animal studies for reducing the cardiac toxicity of doxorubicin; however, the only human trials supporting this use fall considerably beneath modern scientific standards.
1-8
According to animal studies,
lycopene
might help protect the heart and also shield developing sperm cells from injury (thereby reducing
male infertility
);
13-15
the herbal extract
curcumin
might help prevent damage to the heart and kidneys;
19,20n-acetyl cysteine
might help protect the heart and also reduce hair loss;
21-22lipoic acid16-17
and
coenzyme Q1018
might protect the heart. However, for all of these antioxidants, support from human trials is lacking.
One animal study hints at potential heart- and liver-protective effects with the supplement
carnitine
.
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