title: Effects of methylene blue in acute lung injury induced by blunt chest trauma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We studied whether methylene blue (MB) treatment blunts chest trauma-induced lung injury in rats.
  
  
  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).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides evidence that MB might serve as a therapeutic treatment for blunt chest trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayvaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering , Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chem. and Met. Eng., Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemek
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y-T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Tarladacalisir
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering , Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chem. and Met. Eng., Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: M-S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Un
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Basaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophtalmology, Edirne State Hospital, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: A-T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ayvaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Edirne State Hospital, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pul
keywords: Blunt chest trauma; antioxidants; contusion; methylene blue; oxidants