PENTOXIFYLLINE INHIBITS OVERFLOW AND REDUCES INTESTINAL REPERFUSION INJURY

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pentoxifylline ( Ptx) in reperfusion injury of the small bowel as a leukocyte stabilize r, free radical scavenger, and microcirculatory regulator. Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to determine the biochemical, histo pathologic and blood flow changes of the reperfused small intestines a fter 30 minutes of a warm ischemic insult. Animals were divided into s ix groups: Sham (S), sham plus Ptx (SP), ischemia (I), ischemia plus P tx (IF), reperfusion (R), and reperfusion plus Ptx (RP). Pentoxifyllin e was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg 15 minutes before ischemia. The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was occluded dis tal to the right colic artery and collateral arcades were ligated as d escribed by Megison. Sixty of the 96 rats (0 = 10) were used to determ ine histopathologic changes, malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidas e (MPG) levels in tissue. Mucosal lesions were graded on a scale from 0 to 5 as described by Chiu, MDA and MPO levels of the intestinal muco sa were assayed to reflect the free radical formation and neutrophil s equestration, respectively. Thirty-six rats (n = 6) were used to measu re blood flow changes of the intestine using Xe-133 clearance techniqu e. All data were presented as the mean values plus or minus the standa rt error of the means (means +/- sem). Although in the R group, mucosa l injury score, blood flow, MPG, and MDA levels were higher significan tly from the other groups (P < .05), in the RP group blood flow, MPG, and MDA levels were significantly decreased to the basal values (P < . 05). Mucosal injury score of the RP group were lower than the reperfus ion group but higher than the normal (P < .05). The authors conclude t hat pentoxifylline pretreatment before reperfusion stabilizes blood fl ow, decreases MPO and MDA levels to the normal, and attenuates but not completely prevents mucosal damage. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunde rs Company.