title: Cardioprotective effect of aminoguanidine in combination with steroid therapy after blunt chest trauma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac contusion is an important cause of mortality after blunt chest trauma (BCT). The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of the usage of aminoguanidine (AG), in myocardial damage occurring after BCT, alone and in combination with methylprednisolone (MP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five female Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 7) including: sham controls (S); only cardiac contusion (CONT); cardiac contusion treated with methylprednisolone (CONT+MP); cardiac contusion treated with aminoguanidine (CONT+AG); and cardiac contusion treated with methylprednisolone and aminoguanidine (CONT+MP+AG). Seven days following the treatments, heart and serum specimens were evaluated histopathologically, immunohistochemically, and biochemically in all groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum AOPP and Tn-I levels increased significantly after cardiac contusions. Haemorrhage, tissue degeneration, and necrosis development was evident following contusions. Increased iNOS expression in myocardial tissue was significantly decreased in the CONT+AG+MP group compared to CONT+AG and CONT+MP groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). The combined treatment of AG and MP increased Bcl-2 expression significantly after contusions compared to the other treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined usage of AG, a selective iNOS inhibitor, with MP, in cardiac contusions, showed a more powerful cardioprotective effect by increasing Bcl-2 expression and reducing iNOS expression (Tab. 3, Fig. 4, Ref. 33).
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guzel
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Akdemir
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alacam
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gacar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murat
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guvenc
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003288:Contusions / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006146:Guanidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006146:Guanidines; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C004479:pimagedine; D008775:Methylprednisolone