title: Tissue-plasminogen activator restores muscle flap perfusion in the rat.
abstract: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of tissue-plasminogen activator on skeletal muscle flap perfusion after a thrombogenic insult. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 experimental groups of 6 animals each. In group 1 (sham), the cremaster muscle was isolated as an end-organ flap. In group 2, after cremaster muscle isolation, a semicircular inverted suture as a thrombogenic insult was performed at the ipsilateral common iliac artery. In group 3, local tissue-plasminogen activator infusion followed the inverted suture. In group 4, vehicle was infused. After 24 hours, the cremaster muscle flap hemodynamics and leukocyte-endothelial interactions were measured using intravital microscopy. Capillary perfusion significantly decreased after the inverted suture from a median of 6.23 (group 1) to 1.50 (group 2) functional capillaries per visual field. Tissue-plasminogen activator significantly increased capillary perfusion after the thrombogenic insult from a median of 1.50 (group 2) and 2.50 (group 4) to 6.00 (group 3). Tissue-plasminogen activator restored capillary perfusion after a thrombogenic insult to the main feeding artery.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Klinik Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Krapohl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siemionow
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000098:blood supply; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator