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. 1983 Jul;198(1):87–90. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198307000-00017

The role of oxygen-free radicals in ischemic tissue injury in island skin flaps.

P N Manson, R M Anthenelli, M J Im, G B Bulkley, J E Hoopes
PMCID: PMC1352938  PMID: 6859996

Abstract

The contribution of free radical-mediated reperfusion injury to the ischemic damage caused by total venous occlusion of island skin flaps was investigated in a standardized rat model. Control flaps subjected to 8 hours of total venous occlusion showed complete, full thickness necrosis when followed for 7 days following release of the vascular occlusion. Treatment with superoxide dismutase, a scavenger of superoxide radicals, prior to and immediately following the onset of reperfusion, significantly enhanced island flap survival from 0/11 (0%) to 8/15 (53%), p less than 0.005, and from 0/9 (0%) to 6/12 (50%), p less than 0.02, respectively. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that oxygen free radicals generated at the time of reperfusion following a period of ischemia contribute significantly to the ultimate damage caused by ischemic injury. Such findings are consistent with similar reported observations on other tissues and suggest a means by which ischemic tissue injury might be therapeutically modified, even after the period of ischemia.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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