Unpredictability of triphenyltetrazolium chloride in staining irreversible ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the skeletal muscle of rats.
OBJECTIVE
To find out whether pale staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) in skeletal muscle of rat hindlimbs which had been subjected to ischaemia-reperfusion definitely indicated irreversible tissue damage.


METHODS
Laboratory study.


METHODS
University hospital, Taiwan.


METHODS
77 Female Wistar rats.


METHODS
Ischaemia of one hindlimb was caused by wrapping of a tourniquet above knee joint for 1.5 (n = 14). 2 (n = 15), 2.5 (n = 17), 3 (n = 17) or 4 (n = 14) hours. Each ischaemic group was divided into three subgroups to receive nil, 1 or 1.5 hours reperfusion, respectively. Gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were excised bilaterally.


METHODS
TTC reduction in the ischaemic limbs presented as a percentage of the opposite control limb measured by a spectrophotometric assay. Density of red formazan deposition in the ischaemic limbs assessed by microscopic examination of the TTC histochemical stain in the 3 hour ischaemic group.


RESULTS
In the 2, 2.5, and 3 hour ischaemic groups the TTC reduction in the ischaemic limbs after 1.5 hours reperfusion increased significantly as compared with that with one hour reperfusion (p < 0.01 in each case). The density of red formazan deposition in the muscle after 3 hours ischaemia and 1.5 hours reperfusion was significantly higher than that of only 1 hour of reperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Lack of TTC staining does not necessarily represent irreversible ischaemia-reperfusion injury of the skeletal muscle in rats.
Cheng
H T
HT
Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei.
Chang
H
H
Lue
H J
HJ
Wen
C Y
CY
D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
D004396:Coloring Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium