Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on lipid peroxidation in free skin grafts in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To document that free skin grafts treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) are at greater risk for reperfusion injury, resulting in lipid peroxidation, than are free skin grafts without HBO treatment.


METHODS
40 Sprague-Dawley rats.


METHODS
Free skin grafting was performed bilaterally on each rat. The HBO-treated rats received HBO twice daily for 90 minutes at 2 ATA. Biopsy specimens were taken from each rat at the time of grafting and on days 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28, then were processed for tissue concentration of total glutathione (GSHt), glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx), and presence of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS).


RESULTS
Both groups had a similar pattern of change in TBARS and GPx values--initial increase, returning to preoperative values at days 21 (control) and 28 (HBO). The GPx activity peaked later than did TBARS concentration (day 7 vs day 4). The pattern was significantly more pronounced in HBO-treated than in control rats. Both groups had a similar pattern of change in GSHt values-significant decrease from preoperative concentration at day 2, return to preoperative concentration by days 4 (HBO) and 7 (control), increase above preoperative concentration by day 21, and return to preoperative concentration by day 28. Obvious visual or histologic differences in the grafts were not detected between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Cellular effects of oxidative stress were apparent in both groups of rats; however, the degree of these effects was exacerbated by HBO. In the face of enhanced cellular lipid peroxidation, use of HBO for the treatment of free skin grafts must be questioned.
Lemarié
R J
RJ
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
Hosgood
G
G
VanSteenhouse
J
J
Hodgin
E C
EC
Tedford
B L
BL
Strain
G M
GM
D000818:Animals; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006085:Graft Survival; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione