A combination of methylprednisolone and quercetin is effective for the treatment of cardiac contusion following blunt chest trauma in rats

Cardiac contusion is a potentially fatal complication of blunt chest trauma. The effects of a combination of quercetin and methylprednisolone against trauma-induced cardiac contusion were studied. Thirty-five female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n = 7) as follows: sham, cardiac contusion with no therapy, treated with methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg on the first day, and 3 mg/kg on the following days), treated with quercetin (50 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)), and treated with a combination of methylprednisolone and quercetin. Serum troponin I (Tn-I) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels and cardiac histopathological findings were evaluated. Tn-I and TNF-alpha levels were elevated after contusion (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001). Seven days later, Tn-I and TNF-alpha levels decreased in the rats treated with methylprednisolone, quercetin, and the combination of methylprednisolone and quercetin compared to the rats without therapy, but a statistical significance was found only with the combination therapy (P = 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). Histopathological degeneration and necrosis scores were statistically lower in the methylprednisolone and quercetin combination group compared to the group treated only with methylprednisolone (P = 0.017 and P = 0.007, respectively). However, only degeneration scores were lower in the combination therapy group compared to the group treated only with quercetin (P = 0.017). Inducible nitric oxide synthase positivity scores were decreased in all treatment groups compared to the untreated groups (P = 0.097, P = 0.026, and P = 0.004, respectively). We conclude that a combination of quercetin and methylprednisolone can be used for the specific treatment of cardiac contusion.