Prevention of postischemic impairment of microvascular perfusion

Two groups of conditioned male mongrel dogs, designated group 1 and group 2, were subjected to 35 minutes of cerebrospinal fluid compression ischemia followed by 30 minutes of recirculation. Animals in both groups were heparinized, but in addition, the blood of group 2 animals was circulated through three glass-wool filters over the course of 1 hour prior to induction of ischemia. Focal zones of impaired perfusion were prevented and general reflow was significantly enhanced in group 2 animals, whose blood had been filtered through glass-wool. Animals in group 1 had focal zones of impaired perfusion and relatively poor general postischemic reflow. A hypothesis concerning blood-damaged tissue interaction in zones of acute tissue damage is introduced.