Cardiomyopathy (particularly
dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)) significantly contributes to development and progression of
heart failure (HF), and inflammatory factors further deteriorate the symptoms. Morphological and functional defects of the heart in
doxorubicin (DOX)-induced
cardiomyopathy (
cardiotoxicity) are similar to those of DCM. We used anagonist of PGC-1α (PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma)-γ coactivator-1α) that is considered as the 'master regulator' of mitochondrial biogenesis with an aim to rescue the DOX-induced deleterious effects on the heart. Forty male C57BL/6J mice (8 weeks old) were divided in four groups, Control, DOX,
ZLN005, and
ZLN005 + DOX (n = 10 each group). The DOX-induced (10 mg/kg, single dose)
cardiomyopathy mimics a DCM-like phenotype with marked morphologic alteration in cardiac tissue and functional derangements. Significant increased staining was observed for Masson Trichrome/
Picrosirius red and α-Smooth Muscle
Actinin (α-SMA) that indicated enhanced
fibrosis in the DOX group compared to the control that was attenuated by (
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (
PPAR-γ) coactivator) (PGC)-1α (alpha) agonist (four doses of 2.5 mg/kg/dose; cumulative dose = 10 mg/kg). Similarly, elevated expression of necroptosis markers along with enhanced oxidative stress in the DOX group were alleviated by PGC-1α agonist. These data collectively suggested the potent therapeutic efficacy of PGC-1α agonist in mitigating the deleterious effects of DOX-induced
cardiomyopathy, and it may be targeted in developing the future
therapeutics for the management of DCM/HF.