Cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a cornerstone of hematologic malignancy treatment, but it is limited by its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, leading to systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction and, ultimately, dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy. Cardio-oncology has emerged as a subspecialty addressing cardiovascular complications in cancer patients, highlighting preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). Current approaches, including beta-blockers, renin–angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, and statins, offer partial cardioprotection. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, initially developed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), demonstrate pleiotropic cardioprotective effects beyond glycemic control, including reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and myocardial remodeling. This review explores the interplay between anthracycline therapy, particularly DOX, and cardiotoxicity while evaluating SGLT2 inhibitors as novel agents in cardio-oncology. Preclinical studies suggest SGLT2 inhibitors attenuate CTRCD by preserving mitochondrial function and inhibiting apoptosis, while clinical trials highlight their efficacy in reducing heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Integrating SGLT2 inhibitors into cardio-oncology protocols could revolutionize the management of CTRCD, enhancing patient outcomes in oncology and cardiovascular care. Considering the emerging evidence, SGLT2 inhibitors may provide significant benefits to patients undergoing anthracycline therapy, particularly those with elevated cardiovascular risk profiles. We recommend that future prospective, large-scale clinical trials further evaluate the efficacy and safety of these agents as cardioprotective therapy to optimize individualized treatment strategies.

This study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of some Lamiacea essential oils (EOs). For this purpose, eight EOs, including two from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in Romania and Spain (LA1 and LA2), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Lavandula hybrida Balb. ex Ging (LH), Salvia sclarea L. (SS), Mentha smithiana L. (MS), Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. (PA), and Mentha x piperita L. (MP), were evaluated in vitro in terms of antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-migratory activities. As regards the antioxidant capacity, expressed as the EO concentration that produces 50% of the maximum effect (IC₅₀ value), the EOs obtained from the cultivated plants of the Lamiaceae family are ordered as follows: LA2 ˃ LA1 ˃ LH > MP > MS > SO > SS > PA. For the determination of antimicrobial activity, the reference strains used for testing were Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, Shigella flexneri serotype 2b, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis. The most intense inhibitory effect was observed in EOs of MS and MP on all tested microbial strains. The cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity of EOs was tested on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and B164A5) and on a healthy keratinocyte line (HaCaT). EOs LA1 and MP manifested the highest selectivity on the analysed tumoural cells, by reducing their migration in comparison with the control, proving to have therapeutic potential.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anthracycline, but its clinical use is limited by dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. This experimental study evaluated the cardioprotective potential of empagliflozin (EMPA) against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Thirty healthy adult rats were randomized into five groups (n = 6): control (group I), EMPA (group II), EMPA + DOX (group III), DOX (group IV), and EMPA-preconditioning + DOX (group V). EMPA was administered orally at 10 mg/kg/day, either concomitantly with DOX or as a 14-day preconditioning course. Cumulative DOX exposure reached 15 mg/kg to establish a reproducible cardiotoxicity model. Serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded, blood samples were collected, and hearts were harvested for detailed histopathological analysis. Compared with the control group, group IV demonstrated significant QT/QTc prolongation and repolarization abnormalities, marked troponin elevation, and characteristic histological lesions, including cardiomyocyte vacuolization, loss of striations, diffuse inflammation, myocyte atrophy, and increased fibrosis. In groups receiving EMPA with DOX exposure (groups III and V), ECG changes were attenuated, troponin elevation was lower, and structural myocardial damage was substantially reduced, with better preservation of cardiomyocyte architecture and less fibrosis. These results suggest that EMPA provides significant cardioprotection against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats, supporting further investigation of SGLT2 inhibitors in cardio-oncology.

This study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of some Lamiacea essential oils (EO’s). For this purpose, there was evaluated in-vitro the antioxidant, cytotoxic antimicrobial and anti-migratory activity of 8 essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA1), Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA2), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Lavandula hybrida Balb. ex Ging (LH), Salvia sclarea L. (SS), Mentha smithiana L. (MS), Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. (PA) and Mentha x piperita L. (MP). The longest time for total reduction of DPPH by the antioxidants in the sample was required in the case of Perovskia atripicifolia (PA). For the determination of antimicrobial activity, the reference strains used for testing were: Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, Shigella flexneri serotype 2b, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. The most intense inhibitory effect was observed in EO’s of MS and MxP, on all tested microbial strains. The cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity of EO’s was tested on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and B164A5) and on a healthy keratinocyte line (HaCaT). EO’s LA1 and MxP manifested the highest selectivity on the analysed tumoral cells, by reducing their migration in comparison with the control, proofing to have therapeutic potential.