Effects of the phlebotropic drug Daflon 500 mg on postischemic reperfusioninjury in striated skin muscle: A histomorphologic study in the hamster

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the purified, micronized, flavonoid fraction Daflon 500 mg (S 5682, 90% diosmin and 10% hesperidin) an tissue damage and leukocyte emigration in striated skin musc le after ischemia-reperfusion, as assessed by histomorphometric analysis. T he experimental model used was the transparent dorsal skin fold chamber in the awake Syrian golden hamster. Sixty-four animals were randomly allotted to two treatment groups and time points of investigation. Animals were fed with 30 mg kg(-1) body weight Daflon 500 mg (n = 32) or its vehicle, 5% Ara bic gum solution (n = 32), as control 8 hours before ischemia. Before induc tion of a tourniquet ischemia of 4 hours' duration and at 0.5, 2, and 24 ho urs of reperfusion, tissue sections were preserved for light and electron m icroscopic analysis (n = seven or eight animals per time point). The number of intravascular and extravascular leukocytes was determined by light micr oscopic analysis of esterase-positive leukocytes. For quantitative analysis of ischemia-induced endothelial cell damage, the endothelial thickness of capillaries was calculated by a computer-assisted imaging system, whereas t he ischemic tissue damage was assessed by means of a score system (grade 0- 3) by an independent investigator. The number of emigrated leukocytes was s ignificantly reduced in Demon 500 mg-treated animals compared with numbers found in control animals. The histomorphologic muscle fiber damage increase d after reperfusion in both groups but was significantly reduced in the Daf lon 500 mg-treated animals 2 and 24 hours after reperfusion. These results suggest that the emigration of leukocytes plays an important role in the de velopment of postischemic reperfusion injury of striated skin muscle.