title: Thromboxane A2 in postischemic acute compartmental syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether thromboxane A2 participates in the ischemia-reperfusion injury associated with acute compartmental syndrome (ACS) and if by using a cyclooxygenase inhibitor this can be either reduced or abolished.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the role of thromboxane A2 in ACS, a tourniquet was applied for 2 hours to the hind limb of 12 dogs. Group 1 (n = 6) served as controls while group 2 (n = 6) was pretreated with lysine-acetyl-salicylate (Lysoprim). Blood thromboxane B2 levels and intracompartmental pressures were assayed prior to inflation of the tourniquet and at 5 minutes, 90 minutes, and 24, 72, and 144 hours after deflation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five minutes after deflation, the compartmental pressure increased from 11.2 +/- 2.2 mm Hg to 16.1 +/- 3.3 mm Hg and 17 +/- 2.2 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) in groups 2 and 1, respectively. At 90 minutes and 24 hours, pressures were 17.1 +/- 3.3 mm Hg and 23.2 +/- 3.3 mm Hg (P<.01) and 15.3 +/- 2.6 mm Hg and 25.2 +/- 1.8 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) (P<.001), respectively, in groups 2 and 1. A similar effect, although of a lesser magnitude, was observed in the counterlateral limb. Thromboxane B2 levels increased from a mean (+/- SD) of 46 +/- 5.5 pg/0.1 mL to 132 +/- 7.5 pg/0.1 mL at 90 minutes in group 1, while remaining unchanged in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thromboxane A2 plays a major role in the ischemia-reperfusion injury of acute compartmental syndrome. By using a cyclooxygenase inhibitor both the levels of thromboxane and the compartmental pressures can be reduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, The Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah-Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dabby
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaniv
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dekel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lelcuk
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D004285:Dogs; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications*; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013928:Thromboxane A2