Histopathological Findings in Oxidative Stress due to Tourniquet Use
Sezgin SARBAN, O Sahap ATIK, Deniz ERDOGAN, Suna OMEROGLU, Hale SAYAN, L Pinar YANICOGLU
Gazi University Medical School Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Besevler, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Tourniquet ischemia, oxidative stress, allopurinol, local hypothermia
Abstract
Aim: To analyse various therapeutic modalities for prevention of post-ischemic oxidative stress. Materials and
Methods: Right hindlimbs of 32 rats in four study groups were subjected to 2 hours of ischemia followed by reperfusion for 1 hour. No treatment was used for the first group. Cold gel packs were applied to the right hindlimbs of rats in the second and fourth groups as a therapeutic modality. The third and fourth groups received oral allopurinol for five days to inhibit endothelial xanthine oxidase which produce oxygen free radicals as well as cold gel packs for local hypothermia. Wet weight: total protein, malonyldialdehyde and glutation content of soleus muscle of right hindlimbs was determined and compared with the soleus muscle of left hindlimbs which served as controls. Additionally, samples from gastrocnemius muscles were studied electromicroscopically and again compared with contralateral sides.
Conclusion: We concluded that, while the use of tourniquet without any preventive measure increased capillary permeability and oxidative stress; the use of a combination of allopurinol and hypothermia reversed these harmful effects.