Cardioprotective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on cardiac contusion following blunt chest trauma in rats.

We investigated the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on cardiac damage after blunt chest injury. Forty male adult Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups; control, cardiac contusion, cardiac contusion + CAPE, and CAPE. CAPE, 10 mmol/kg, was administered intraperitoneally for 7 days following cardiac contusion. Heart tissue and blood were obtained at the end of the experimental period. Cardiac histopathology was determined using hematoxylin & eosin (H & E) staining. Expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in cardiomyocytes was determined using immunohistochemistry. Cardiac apoptosis was determined using the TUNEL method. Serum creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The serum cardiac troponin I (C-TI) level was measured using the ELISA method. Myofibril loss was detected in the cardiomyocytes of the cardiac contusion group. Increased apoptosis and TNF-α expression were observed in the cardiac contusion group compared to the control group. Increased CK, CK-MB, LDH and C-TI levels were found in the cardiac contusion group. We found that CAPE administration improved myocardial function. Compared to the cardiac contusion group, CK, CK-MB, LDH and C-TI levels decreased significantly in the cardiac contusion + CAPE group. Administration of CAPE significantly inhibited apoptosis and cardiac TNF-α expression. Our findings demonstrate the therapeutic effects of CAPE for cardiac contusion damage after blunt chest trauma.