Floralozone Shows Cardioprotective Effects in Doxorubicin-Induced Heart Failure in Rats

A new study published in Molecular Biology Reports reports that floralozone, a medicinal compound with potential cardiovascular protective effects, alleviated doxorubicin-induced heart failure in rats by modulating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) signaling. The research, led by Hong-dou Zhang, Yun-ting Wang, Ze-yu Yang and colleagues with Peng Li, examined whether the compound could protect the heart against the senescence and fibrosis that accompany chemotherapy-induced cardiac injury.

In the study, the researchers induced heart failure in rats by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin over a period of six weeks. They then assessed whether treatment with floralozone could counteract the resulting cardiac pathology.

To characterize the injury and the compound’s effects, the team used a broad panel of methods. VEGFR1 expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Oxidative stress was determined by DHE staining of myocardial reactive oxygen species, together with serum assays of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining was performed to evaluate the degree of myocardial aging, and hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe cardiac morphology.

The degree of myocardial fibrosis was detected using Masson, argyrophilic and orcein staining, while echocardiography was conducted to assess cardiac function in each group. This combination of histological, biochemical and functional readouts allowed the researchers to evaluate both the structural and physiological consequences of doxorubicin exposure and of floralozone treatment.

According to the results, floralozone modulated VEGFR1 expression and alleviated doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress, cardiac aging, myocardial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in the heart failure rats. The findings suggest that the compound acts, at least in part, through modulation of VEGFR1-associated signaling and oxidative stress.

To test whether VEGFR1 signaling was genuinely involved in the protective effect, the researchers pharmacologically activated VEGFR1 using placental growth factor (PLGF). When VEGFR1 was activated in this way, the protective effects of floralozone on oxidative stress, cardiac aging, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac function and VEGFR1 expression were attenuated. The authors state that this supports the involvement of VEGFR1 signaling in the cardioprotective effects of the compound.

In the discussion, the authors note that floralozone modulated VEGFR1 expression and was associated with reduced oxidative stress, cardiac aging and myocardial fibrosis, ultimately improving cardiac dysfunction. However, they also caution that the precise causal relationship between VEGFR1 signaling and oxidative stress remains to be determined, leaving an important mechanistic question open for future work.

The study’s findings suggest that floralozone may have therapeutic potential for doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury through modulation of VEGFR1-associated pathological processes. Because the work was conducted in a rat model of doxorubicin-induced heart failure, the results represent preclinical evidence rather than demonstrated clinical benefit, and further studies would be needed to establish whether similar effects could be achieved in patients.

The article, published as an original article in Volume 53 of Molecular Biology Reports, adds to the evidence that VEGFR1 signaling is implicated in cardiovascular dysfunction and positions floralozone as a candidate cardioprotective agent worth continued investigation in the context of chemotherapy-related heart damage.

Subject of Research: Cardioprotective effects of floralozone against doxorubicin-induced heart failure in rats via VEGFR1 signaling

Article Title: Floralozone alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiac senescence and fibrosis by inhibiting the VEGFR1

Article References: Zhang, H.-D., Wang, Y.-T., Yang, Z.-Y., Wang, H.-D., Li, X.-Y., Zhang, C.-R., Li, C.-Z., & Li, P. (2026). Floralozone alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiac senescence and fibrosis by inhibiting the VEGFR1. Molecular Biology Reports, 53(1), 1836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-026-13027-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s11033-026-13027-8

Keywords: floralozone, doxorubicin, heart failure, VEGFR1, cardiac fibrosis, cardiac senescence, oxidative stress, placental growth factor, cardiotoxicity, rat model, echocardiography, Molecular Biology Reports