The research of dexamethasone effectiveness on experimental rats having blunt thorax trauma and isolated bilateral lung contusion

INTRODUCTION: The 25% of traumatic cases that apply to emergency have rib fractures and lung contusion. The lung contusion that emerges in 30-75% of the major thorax is the serious injury which has a high mortality and morbidity rate.The mortality rate given as 11% in an isolated intense contusion.As there is still no widely accepted and standardised therapatic approach to pulmonary contusion except the symptomatic treatment for the development of pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Thus the patients had longer hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Because of the high mortality and morbidity rates and no special treatment strategies presented, lots of clinical and expremental studies focused on pulmonary contusion.In our study, pulmonary contusion is formed in rats with a trauma model. We investigate the effects of dexamethasone on lipid peroxidation and free radicals of oxygen with biochemical assay and histopathological assay.MATERIALS and METHODS: 61 of Sprague Dawley male rats were used in this study. Other groups except the sham and control groups, isolated lung contusion was created by applying blunt chest trauma. Trauma severity was determined as 1,5 joules.After the application of blunt chest trauma dexamethasone groups, 1., 2. and 3. day dexametasone given 3mg/kg intraperitoneal.Contusion groups, only applied to blunt chest trauma.Groups 0, 1., 2. and 3rd day blood gases, tissue malondialdehyd, superoxid-dismutase, results of histopathological examination of lung tissue and wet / dry lung weights were recorded. The trauma in five rat (8,1%) mortality was observedRESULTS: For sham groups PaO2 values were found higher compared to the contision group (p<0,05).,were lower compared to the dexametasone group (p<0,05).1 and 3. Day for deksametazon groups PO2 volues were found higer compared to the sham control and contision group (p<0,05). 2.day for the dexametasone group volues were found higer comparede the other groups (p>0,05) PaCO2 value in sham group was higher than other groups (p<0,05) and it wasn?t different among controlled, IL-10 and budesonide groups (p>0,05).Sham,dexametasone 1.2.3.days, control groups malondialdehit values were lower compared to the contision group (p<0,05). For dexametasone group MDA value was observed lower than contision (p<0,05)group. For dexametasone group MDA value was observed higher than sham and control group.The SOD value among control, dexametasone and control groups was higher than the sham group (p<0,05). In 2.and 3.days dexametazone group SOD valoue were lower than 1., 2. and 3. day contision group.The average of lung damage in 1., 2., 3. days of contision group and 1., 2., 3. days of dexametasone groups were higher than sham and control group.for contision group , lung damage were higher than contision group. (p<0,05).Leukocyte infiltration score were diagnosed higher in the contision and dexametasone ggroup than other groups (p<0,05).CONCLUSİON: It?s observed that in the lung contusion of the subject rats, the use of dexamethasone reduced both intensity of lung contusion and the inflammatory reaction to minimum degree.