Attenuation of ischemia/reperfusion injury by N-acetylcysteine in a rat hind limb model.
BACKGROUND
Ischemia/reperfusion is a complex set of events with severe pathologic consequences. Reperfusion initiates both the local and systemic damage in part through rapid oxygen generation. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a scavenger of free radical species, inhibits neutrophil accumulation, acts as a vasodilator and also improves microcirculation. In present study, we examined the protective effect of NAC in a rat hind limb ischemia/ reperfusion model. Dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO), a well-known antioxidant was also tested for comparison.


METHODS
Ischemia was induced for 4 h by vascular clamping and followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Muscle injury was evaluated in 3 groups as a saline group (control), DMSO group, and NAC group. Plasma levels of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and blood HCO(3), as well as muscle tissue TBARS, were measured at the end of reperfusion. Muscle tissue samples were taken for histological evaluation.


RESULTS
DMSO and NAC group showed significant amelioration of plasma CPK (P < 0.05, P < 0.05), plasma TBARS (P < 0.05, P < 0.05), and muscle tissue TBARS (P < 0.05, P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Similarly, neutrophil infiltration in DMSO and NAC groups were significantly less prominent than the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that NAC improved effectively ischemia reperfusion injury in a rat hind limb model.
Koksal
Cengiz
C
Sureyyapasa Thoracic and Cardiovascular Disease Hospital, Departmemnt of Cardiovascular Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey. cengizkoksal@hotmail.com
Bozkurt
A Kursat
AK
Cangel
Ugur
U
Ustundag
Nil
N
Konukoglu
Dildar
D
Musellim
Benan
B
Sayin
Ayla Gurel
AG
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D003250:Constriction; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
D001639:Bicarbonates; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D000111:Acetylcysteine; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide