Cardioprotective Potential of Coumestrol Against Beryllium Sulfate Induced Cardiotoxicity via Modulating IRAK1/TRAF6 and TLR4/MyD88 Axis in Sprague Dawley Rats

Beryllium sulfate (BeSO₄) is one of the leading members of beryllium family that can exert toxic effects via disrupting key signaling pathways and redox profile. Coumestrol (CML) is a polyphenolic compound with exceptional biological properties. This pre-clinical investigation was performed to explore the cardioprotective ability of CML against BeSO₄ induced sub-chronic cardiotoxicity. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were categorized into distinct groups as follows: control, BeSO₄ (12 mg kg^-1), BeSO₄ (12 mg kg^-1) + CML (5 mg kg^-1), and CML (5 mg kg^-1) treated group. It was observed that BeSO₄ administration upregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase1 (IRAK1), toll-like receptor4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response protein88 (MyD88), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor6 (TRAF6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IκB kinase (IKK), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), while suppressing the expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha (IκBα). The redox profile was altered through a significant reduction in enzymatic activities of HO-1, GPx, CAT, GSR, GST, and SOD, while a sudden escalation in the levels of ROS and MDA after BeSO₄ intoxication. The levels of cardiac injury markers such as ProBNP, CK-MB, CPK, C-reactive protein, troponin-T, LDH, troponin-I and BNP were elevated following the administration of BeSO₄. Besides, BeSO₄ exposure increased the levels of Caspase-9, Bax, and Caspase-3 while reducing the levels of Bcl-2. Cardiac histology showed severe disruptions in BeSO₄ treated rats. Nonetheless, CML therapy alleviated aforementioned disruptions via regulating redox balance, inflammatory and apoptotic profile of cardiac tissues. These findings suggest that CML could be employed in clinical research to validate these findings in humans.