Oxidative stress in follicular units during hair transplantation surgery.
BACKGROUND
Hair transplantation surgery currently is a well-established procedure in plastic surgery. It consists of harvesting a strip of scalp from the back of the head, then obtaining grafts called follicular units (FUs) from this strip and implanting them in the bald area. The FUs undergo oxidative stress during cold ischemia and after their implantation.


METHODS
Surgery was performed for 18 patients between April and July 2008. Follicular units were preserved in solutions containing different growth-stimulating hormone (GSH) concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mmol). Saline solution was used as a control condition. Spectrophotometry was used to measure the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and GSH concentrations before ischemia (control group) in the FUs preserved in the four proposed solutions, then after 30 min of cold ischemia and 30 min after grafting. The data obtained were submitted to analysis of variance, t test, and linear regression analysis.


RESULTS
The TBARS (μmol of malondialdehyde [MDA]/g) and GSH (μmol/g) concentrations were not significantly different between the four solutions in either the ischemia or grafting group. The GSH concentration did not differ significantly between the control (59.801 ± 30.639 μmol/g) and ischemia (56.284 ± 28.404 μmol/g) groups. The GSH concentrations were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the postgrafting group (63.815 ± 28.404 μmol/g) than in the group subjected to ischemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing the GSH concentrations used in FU preservation solutions does not reduce the oxidative effects of cold ischemia and reperfusion injury during hair transplantation surgery.
Crisóstomo
Márcio Rocha
MR
marcio@implantecapilar.med.br
Guimarães
Sérgio Botelho
SB
de Vasconcelos
Paulo Roberto Leitão
PR
Crisóstomo
Marília Gabriela Rocha
MG
Benevides
André Nunes
AN
D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000601:surgery; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D050377:Cold Ischemia / Q000379:methods; D006197:Hair / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D019382:Human Growth Hormone