[Myocardial toxicity of free radicals of oxygen during the ischemia-revascularization sequence. A re-assertion]

There is at this point a large number of experimental studies suggesting that oxygen free radicals play a major role in the pathogenesis of the myocardial lesions observed during the sequence ischemia-revascularization. Today, it is stressed upon the role of leucocytes as well as iron as major mediators in triggering and maintaining free radicals generating reactions which lead to a lipidic peroxidation of the membranes. It is probable, and anyway desirable, that these converging studies result, in the very near future, in the development of free radicals traps which are clinically usable. Such a development is still undissociable from the identification of specific markers of radicals lesions in the tissues, which is a mandatory condition for a serious evaluation of the procedures likely to bring under control the harmful effects of these unstable oxygen derivatives and therefore complete the arsenal of anti-ischemic treatments.