title: Prevention of reperfusion injury of the spinal cord in aortic surgery: an experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We designed an experimental study to show the effects of some agents in order to prevent reperfusion injury of the spinal cord.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty rabbits were used and were divided into two groups in our study. Infrarenal abdominal aortic occlusion, between renal arteries and iliac bifurcations, was applied to the subjects in group 1 for only 30 min; in the group 2 subjects, on the other hand, intra-aortic diltiazem, N-acetylcysteine, and catalase combinations were applied after infrarenal abdominal aortic occlusion. The spinal cord functions of the subjects were assessed at the 48th hour after the operation according to Tarlov scoring, then cord tissue samples were taken for biochemical and histopathological studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group 2 subjects had better neurological functions than group 1 subjects (P < 0.01). In group 2; superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels increased, while malondialdehyde and xanthine oxidase levels decreased as compared with group 1 (P < 0.05). A histopathological examination showed the group 2 samples to have fewer bleeding points and less neuron loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that antioxidant agent combinations (diltiazem, N-acetylcysteine, and catalase) applied after ischemia might thus help protect the spinal cord against ischemia and reperfusion injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medical Faculty of Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cevdet Ugur
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Koçogullari
authors.forename: Necip
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Becit
authors.forename: Bilgehan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erkut
authors.forename: M Sait
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Keleş
authors.forename: Munacettin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceviz
authors.forename: Azman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ates
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gündoğdu
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaygin
authors.forename: Hikmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koçak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*