Cardioprotective effect of citicoline against arsenic trioxide-induced injury in H9C2 cell line

Cardiotoxicity is one of the most serious adverse effects of exposure to arsenic. It has been shown that cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine or citicoline exerts a variety of biological functions, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The aim of current study was to investigate the effect of citicoline on arsenic trioxide (ATO)-induced cardiotoxicity in H9C2 cells. H9C2 cardiac cells exposed to ATO for 24 h to induce cytotoxicity. The cells were pre-incubated with citicoline for 72 h prior to the exposure to ATO. The effect of citicoline on cell viability was investigated by MTT method. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total thiol groups, and total antioxidant power (TAP) levels were also evaluated. The results indicated that citicoline could effectively enhanced cell viability of H9C2 cells exposed to ATO. Treatment with ATO increased MDA levels, while pretreatment with citicoline reduced lipid peroxidation. Moreover, it could enhance total thiol contents and TAP levels. Taken together, our data suggest that citicoline has protective effects against ATO-induced oxidative stress in H9C2 cells, that could be attributed to inhibition of oxidative stress and its antioxidant effects.