THE EFFECT OF TORBAFYLLINE ON CAPILLARY MORPHOLOGY IN PRIMATE SKELETAL-MUSCLE AFTER ISCHEMIC REPERFUSION INJURY

Electron microscopic and semi-quantitative morphological methods were employed to determine the effect of torbafylline, a new methylxanthine derivative, on the response of capillaries to ischaemia and subsequen t reperfusion, Sixteen vervet monkeys under general anaesthesia were s tudied, A pneumatic tourniquet was applied to a hind limb for 3 hours, Eight animals received torbafylline (20 mg/kg) by intravenous infusio n prior to tourniquet application, Open muscle biopsies were taken fro m the tibialis anterior before tourniquet application, just before tou rniquet release and after 6, 12 and 24 hours of reperfusion, All speci mens were prepared for transmission electron microscopy, The capillari es in all pre-tourniquet specimens were normal, Endothelial cell oedem a, abnormal cytoplasmic organelles and altered levels of pinocytosis o ccurred in various numbers of capillaries in each experimental specime n, A numeric index was created to describe the severity of capillary p athomorphology, Torbafylline was shown significantly to reduce the sev erity of capillary pathomorphology during reperfusion.