Ischemia-reperfusion syndrome: an alternative experimental model.
OBJECTIVE
To design an alternative experimental model of ischemia-reperfusion syndrome. Our model mimics the clinical pattern of the syndrome and also assesses the efficacy of therapeutical protocols.


METHODS
Ischemia was induced under general anaesthesia in the posterior limbs of 10 sheep by occluding the aorta and vena cava by means of two-way balloon catheters. Ischemia was stopped after 4 hours and blood and histologic parameters determined in the first three hours of revascularization. The animals were divided into three groups: a group of 3 sheep in which a sham operation was performed; a control group (5) to assess the efficacy of induced ischemia; the third group (5) to determine the effect of antioxidant and membrane protective drugs to assess the reliability of the model to study the ischemia-reperfusion syndrome.


RESULTS
At the end of ischemia, skin temperature was decreased (p < 0.04) both in control and treated groups, pH decreased significantly soon after reperfusion in the control group (p < 0.04). Reperfusion in control sheep, compared with treated animals, was followed by a significant increase in CPK blood levels (p < 0.009), related to marked muscle damage, in particular after reperfusion. Tissue damage detected at TEM was less severe in treated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
This model is an effective experimental strategy and a means of assessing preventive treatment.
Pedrini
L
L
Chair of Vascular Surgery, University of Bologna, Italy.
Pisano
E
E
Masetti
L
L
Muttini
A
A
Facchini
A
A
De Pasquale
V
V
Ruggeri
A
A
Saccà
A
A
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011897:Random Allocation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012756:Sheep; D012881:Skin Temperature; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors