Ischaemic brain oedema and xanthine-xanthine oxidase system

The formation of oxygen-derived free radicals in cerebral ischaemia has been implicated in altering the BBB permeability, cause oedema and tissue damage. However little attention has been paid regarding the involvement of xanthine oxidase in the cerebral ischaemic events. Recently we demonstrated that cerebral ischaemia promotes the conversion of xanthine oxidase type D (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent dehydrogenase) to type 0 (oxygen-dependent superoxide-producing oxidase). This investigation was concerned with elucidating the relationship between the conversion of xanthide oxidase and the duration of brain ischaemia. Four vessel-occlusion served as a model for the induction of cerebral ischaemia in rats. Xanthine oxidase was assayed by high pressure liquid chromatography using ultraviolet and electrochemical detection. The enzymatic conversion of xanthine oxidase from type D to type O increased with time from 7.6-15% during 5 min ischaemia to 27% and 36% at 15 min and 30 min after ischaemia, respectively. These results support the contention that xanthine oxidase may participate in free radical-induced ischaemic brain oedema.