[Toxicity of oxygen free radicals in reperfusion. Myth or reality?]

It would appear from numerous experimental data that an overproduction of oxygen free radicals may occur during reperfusion of an ischaemic myocardium. However, this has not yet been confirmed experimentally owing to the lack of a method for direct measurement of these radicals. In this paper, the topic is reviewed, with emphasis on the problems associated with the study of oxygen free radicals in biological tissues. In a second part, spin-trapping studies conducted on the isolated rat heart are reported. They tend to confirm the presence of disturbances in oxygen-derived free radicals occurring as early as the first minute of reperfusion.