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Reperfusion plasma contains a neutrophil activator
I S Paterson1, F C Smith, G M Tsang
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham, U.K.
Annals of Vascular Surgery
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Aortic surgery reperfusion plasma causes microvascular injury by stimulating neutrophils to generate free radicals. This injury involves inflammation and increased protein leakage, but can be blocked by free radical scavengers.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Inflammation Research
- Surgical Complications
Background:
- Aortic aneurysm repair is associated with systemic inflammatory responses and remote organ damage.
- Reperfusion plasma from patients undergoing aortic surgery induces microvascular injury in experimental models.
- The precise mechanisms underlying this reperfusion-induced microvascular injury require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism by which reperfusion plasma from aortic aneurysm repair patients causes microvascular injury.
- To investigate the role of neutrophils, free radicals, and inflammatory mediators in this process.
Main Methods:
- Human vena caval blood was collected before and after aortic clamp removal.
- Plasma was applied to rabbit skin abrasions, with animals treated with saline, made neutropenic, or given allopurinol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase.
- Neutrophil counts, activity, free radical production, protein leakage, thromboxane (TX), and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) were measured.
Main Results:
- Reperfusion plasma significantly increased TX and LTB4 generation, neutrophil accumulation and activation, and microvascular permeability compared to control plasma.
- Neutropenia and cotreatment with SOD and catalase abolished these injury responses.
- Allopurinol pretreatment did not prevent the observed microvascular injury.
Conclusions:
- Human reperfusion plasma contains a soluble factor that activates rabbit neutrophils.
- This activation leads to free radical generation, de novo TX production, and subsequent microvascular injury.
- The findings highlight the critical role of neutrophils and free radicals in post-aortic surgery microvascular damage.