Evaluation of dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone on pulmonary contusion in experimental blunt thoracic trauma.
BACKGROUND
A thoracic trauma model was designed to evaluate the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dexamethasone (DX) on histopathologic and oxidative changes in lung parenchyma seen after pulmonary contusion.


METHODS
Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were included in the study. They were allocated into control (CG, n=6), sham (SG, n=6), DX (DXG, n=6), and DMSO (DMG, n=6) groups. Only a lung biopsy was performed in CG. In the experimental groups, blunt thoracic trauma was induced by dropping a cylindrical metal weight (0.5 kg) through a stainless steel tube onto the right hemithorax from a height of 0.4 m (E=1.96 J). In the SG, 1 mL of physiologic saline was injected intraperitoneally, in the DXG 10 mg/kg of DX was injected intraperitoneally, and in the DMG 1.2 g/mL of DMSO was injected intraperitoneally 15 minutes after trauma. After 6 hours, lung biopsy was performed for histopathologic and oxidative injury markers.


RESULTS
Histopathologically, congestion, hemorrhage, neutrophil infiltration, endothelial-nitric oxide synthase (E-NoS), and total pathologic score were significantly higher in SG, DXG, and DMG when compared with CG (p<0.05). Neutrophil infiltration, total pathologic score, and E-NoS were significantly decreased in DMG when compared with SG and DXG (p<0.05). Biochemically, superoxide dismutase (SOD) level was significantly higher in SG, DXG, and DMG than in CG. SOD level was significantly lower in DXG and DMG than in SG (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
DMSO prevents further injury by decreasing neutrophil infiltration and endothelial injury in lung contusions. DX may have a role in the progression of inflammation but not in preventing the pathologic disruption of pulmonary parenchyma.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Ozlem
O
Boybeyi
Department of Neurosurgery, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Bulent
B
Bakar
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Mustafa Kemal
MK
Aslan
Department of Pathology, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Pinar
P
Atasoy
Department of Biochemistry, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Ucler
U
Kisa
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Tutku
T
Soyer
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003288:Contusions / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D003907:Dexamethasone; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide