Cardiovascular toxic effects of novel antineoplastic agents and multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal compounds

The research activity is aimed at the early identification of the cardiovascular toxic effects of novel antineoplastic agents and MDR reversal compounds, through in vitro and ex vivo experiments carried out at both cellular and tissue-organ levels, during the optimisation or selection phases of candidate compound development.

The effects are assessed: on the functional parameters of cardiac activity and on surface ECG in isolated rat hearts perfused according to the Langendorff technique; on Ca²⁺ and K⁺ currents, including hERG, in enzymatically isolated and cultured cell lines using the patch-clamp technique; and on vasodilatory or vasoconstrictive responses in isolated rat aorta rings.