ISCHEMIA-REPERFUSION-INDUCED MUSCLE DAMAGE - PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF CORTICOSTEROIDS AND ANTIOXIDANTS IN RABBITS

We examined the potential protective effect of pretreatment with corti costeroids or antioxidants (ascorbic acid or allopurinol) in rabbits w ith reperfusion-induced damage to skeletal muscle after ischemia. 4 ho urs of limb ischemia induced by a pneumatic tourniquet, followed by re perfusion for 1 hour, caused a considerable amount of ultrastructural damage to the anterior tibialis muscles accompanied by a rise in circu lating creatine kinase activity, Pretreatment of animals with depomedr one by a single 8 mg bolus injection led to a preservation of the ante rior tibialis structure on both light and electron microscopy, High-do se continuous intravenous infusion with ascorbic acid (80 mg/hr) throu ghout the period of ischemia and reperfusion also preserved skeletal m uscle structure, although allopurinol in various doses had no protecti ve effect. These data are fully compatible with a mechanism of ischemi a/reperfusion-induced injury to skeletal muscle, involving generation of oxygen radicals and neutrophil sequestration and activation, They a lso indicate that damage to human skeletal muscle caused by prolonged use of a tourniquet is likely to be reduced by simple pharmacological interventions.