Hydrogen sulfide attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the expression of peroxiredoxin III in H9c2 cells.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, which can give rise to severe cardiotoxicity, limiting its clinical use. Preliminary evidence suggests that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) may exert protective effects on DOX‑induced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether peroxiredoxin III is involved in the cardioprotection of H2S against DOX‑induced cardiotoxicity. The results demonstrated that DOX not only markedly induced injuries, including cytotoxicity and apoptosis, it also increased the expression levels of peroxiredoxin III. Notably, pretreatment with sodium hydrosulfide significantly attenuated the DOX‑induced decrease in cell viability and increase in apoptosis, and also reversed the increased expression levels of peroxiredoxin III in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. In addition, pretreatment of the H9c2 cells with N‑acetyl‑L‑cysteine, a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, prior to exposure to DOX markedly decreased the expression levels of peroxiredoxin III. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that exogenous H2S attenuates DOX‑induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the expression of peroxiredoxin III in H9c2 cells. In the present study, the apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes was assessed using an methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and Hoechst staining. The levels of Prx III and cystathionine-γ-lyase were examined by western blotting.