Dimethyl sulfoxide as a block to the deleterious effect of nicotine in a random skin flap in the rat.
BACKGROUND
In plastic surgery, a causal relationship between heavy smoking and flap necrosis has been shown. The deleterious effect of nicotine in random skin flaps in rats has also been proven, being related to vasoconstriction and possibly reactive oxygen species. This study aimed to verify the capacity of dimethyl sulfoxide, an antioxidant, to block the deleterious effect of nicotine in a random skin flap.


METHODS
Fourteen adult male Wistar-EPM rats were distributed at random into two groups of seven animals. The nicotine group received this drug subcutaneously (1.2 mg/kg/day), for 1 week before flap elevation. The nicotine plus dimethyl sulfoxide group followed the same routine. Five minutes before the surgical procedure, rats in the nicotine group received distilled water orally and rats in the nicotine plus dimethyl sulfoxide group received dimethyl sulfoxide orally (2 ml/kg). Blood and skin tissue samples were collected to allow determination of malondialdehyde levels.


RESULTS
The nicotine group had a mean value of 40.2 percent and the nicotine plus dimethyl sulfoxide group had a mean value of 20.6 percent necrosis (p = 0.009). Malondialdehyde levels in both serum and skin samples were lower in the animals that received dimethyl sulfoxide.


CONCLUSIONS
The deleterious effect of nicotine was effectively blocked by dimethyl sulfoxide.
Leite
Mauro Toledo
MT
São Paulo, Brazil From the Department of Ophthalmology and the Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
Gomes
Heitor Carvalho
HC
Percário
Sandro
S
Russo
Cláudia Regina Abrantes
CRA
Ferreira
Lydia Masako
LM
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D007511:Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D009336:Necrosis; D009538:Nicotine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity
D000975:Antioxidants; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009538:Nicotine; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide