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Published on: August 30, 2019
Effects of methylene blue in acute lung injury induced by blunt chest trauma
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
Background:
We studied whether methylene blue (MB) treatment blunts chest trauma-induced lung injury in rats.
Material And Methods:
Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats, 200-300g, were used. The rats were divided into five groups (n=8): control, early contusion (EC), early contusion + methylene blue (2 mg/kg, EC+MB), late contusion (LC), and late contusion + methylene blue (2 mg/kg, LC+MB).
Results:
Histopathological analysis showed increased hemorrhage, alveolar wall thickness, edema, and inflammatory cell infiltrates in the EC and LC rats, which decreased upon MB treatment. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that MB reduced activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the number of active terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. A significant increase was observed in the malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the EC group compared to the control group (p<0.05). In addition, a significant decrease was reported in the glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels (p<0.01), but no significant difference was observed in the catalase (CAT) levels among the groups. The MDA level was significantly higher in the LC group compared to the control group, whereas the GSH level was significantly lower compared to the control group. The NO level in the EC+MB group was significantly lower when compared to the NO level in the EC group (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
The present study provides evidence that MB might serve as a therapeutic treatment for blunt chest trauma.
Insights
Methylene blue (MB) treatment reduced lung injury markers in rats with blunt chest trauma. This suggests MB could be a potential therapy for such injuries.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical research
- Trauma studies
- Pharmacological interventions
Background:
- Chest trauma can lead to significant lung injury.
- Investigating therapeutic agents for trauma-induced lung damage is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of methylene blue (MB) in mitigating lung injury caused by blunt chest trauma in a rat model.
Main Methods:
- Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, contusion, and contusion with MB treatment groups.
- Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed.
- Biochemical markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were measured.
Main Results:
- Methylene blue treatment decreased hemorrhage, edema, and inflammatory cell infiltration.
- MB reduced the activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TUNEL-positive cells.
- MB modulated oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels.
Conclusions:
- Methylene blue demonstrates a protective effect against lung injury in blunt chest trauma.
- MB shows potential as a therapeutic agent for managing chest trauma-induced lung damage.
