PENTOXIFYLLINE ATTENUATES ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY TO THE SMALL-INTESTINE IN THE RAT/

There is a large body of evidence that neutrophils may play an importa nt role in the mucosal injury that follows ischemia of the intestine. Pentoxifylline (PTF), a methylxanthine derivative, prevents leukocyte adherence to vascular endothelium and restores intestinal blood flow f ollowing hemorrhagic shock and sepsis. The purpose of this study was t o evaluate the protective properties of PTF in an ischemia-reperfusion model of the intestine and whether its action is mediated through tis sue neutrophils as assessed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) determination. In testinal ischemia of either 1 or 2 h was induced in rats by clamping t he superior mesenteric artery, followed by a 17-min reperfusion period . PTF (25 mg/kg) or saline solution was injected IP 10 min prior to is chemia. Multiple bowel samples were harvested at the end of the reperf usion period and evaluated for histology and tissue MPO. PTF significa ntly changed the resultant histologic damage to the intestinal mucosa exerted by prolonged ischemia of 1 and 2 h duration, although the bene ficial effect of PTF in this animal model. was independent of the numb er of tissue neutrophils as assessed by tissue MPO levels. Pretreatmen t with PTF can thus reduce the histologic damage caused by prolonged i schemia to the intestine.