MORPHOLOGIC AND METABOLIC STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF OXYGENATED PERFLUOROCHEMICAL PERFUSION ON AMPUTATED RABBIT LIMBS

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of oxygena ted perfluorochemical perfusion on ischemia injury to skeletal muscle in rabbits. Forty-two hindlimbs of white rabbits were divided into six groups: 3-hr perfusion; 6-hr perfusion; 3-hr hypothermia; 6-hr hypoth ermia; sham operation without perfusion or hypothermia preservation; a nd biopsy. Endothelial cells in these muscles were evaluated using ele ctron microphotography. The areas of both the inner and outer sides of cross-sectioned endothelial cells without cell nuclei were measured, and a new ''capillary index'' was calculated: (outer area - inner area )/outer area. The values of the capillary index in the perfusion group s were similar to those in the biopsy group. However, the values in th e hypothermia groups were significantly greater than those in the biop sy group. These measurements suggested that the perfluorochemical perf usion method preserved the capillary endothelial cells in a nearly nor mal condition. The adenine nucleotides of these muscles were also eval uated. ATP levels in the 6-hr hypothermia group showed a substantial d ecrease to 57 percent of those in the sham-operated group. The 6-hr pe rfusion group levels, however, decreased only to 80 percent of those i n the sham-operated group. Although application of the oxygenated perf luorochemical perfusion method did not maintain normal ATP levels, the maintenance of ATP levels was clearly higher than levels maintained i n the hypothermia-preservation group. These findings suggest that oxyg enated perfluorochemical perfusion is a satisfactory method for preser ving amputated limbs.