# Unraveling Translational Insights into Systemic Multi-Organ Toxicity of Cytosine Arabinoside (Ara-C): A Systematic Review of Preclinical Animal Evidence

## TL;DR

This review summarizes preclinical animal studies to better understand the multi-organ toxic effects of cytarabine (Ara-C), a chemotherapy drug used for leukemia.

## Contribution

The study systematically compiles and analyzes preclinical evidence on cytarabine-induced toxicity, identifying key mechanisms and translational gaps.

## Key findings

- Cytarabine causes dose-dependent toxicity in multiple organs, including neurotoxicity and intestinal damage.
- Mechanisms like oxidative stress and inflammation are consistently linked to cytarabine toxicity.
- Preclinical studies often lack rigor, with poor randomization and limited assessment of cardiotoxicity.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Cytarabine (Ara-C) remains central to acute myeloid leukemia therapy but is limited by unpredictable systemic toxicities. Preclinical studies have long documented multi-organ injury, yet findings remain fragmented. This systematic review synthesizes animal evidence to clarify the spectrum, dose–response patterns, and mechanisms of cytarabine-induced toxicity. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and PROSPERO registration (CRD420251081384), a comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Embase identified eligible in vivo animal studies. Data extraction covered animal models, dosing regimens, routes of administration, histopathological and biochemical endpoints and mechanistic findings. Risk of bias and study quality were assessed using SYRCLE’s tool, CAMARADES checklist and an adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, with reporting benchmarked against ARRIVE 2.0. Results: Eighty-one studies (1964–2024) were included. Cytarabine produced dose- and regimen-dependent toxicities across multiple organs. Neurotoxicity was most frequently reported, followed by intestinal mucositis, ocular injury, alopecia, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and developmental anomalies. Mechanistic analyses consistently implicated oxidative stress, inflammatory cascades, apoptosis, and epigenetic dysregulation. Study quality was moderate, with frequent deficiencies in randomization, blinding, and sample-size justification, raising concerns about reproducibility. Cardiotoxicity, despite clinical relevance, was virtually absent from preclinical evaluation. Conclusions: Preclinical evidence suggests cytarabine’s systemic toxicity as a multifactorial process extending beyond rapidly proliferating tissues. While animal studies provide mechanistic insights, methodological weaknesses and translational gaps limit predictive value. Future research must adopt rigorous design, systematically assess underexplored toxicities, and integrate molecular profiling to identify biomarkers and protective strategies.