Skeletal muscle microvascular and tissue injury after varying durations of ischemia. Harris, A. G., R. Leiderer, F. Peer, and K. Messmer. Institute for Surgical Research, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
APStracts 3:0270H, 1996.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varying durations of ischemia on several microvascular parameters in the awake hamster chamber model. The goal was to characterize the microvascular damage which occurs in skeletal muscle as a result of ischemia/reperfusion. The chamber tissues were subjected to one, two, three, four, or five hours of ischemia and then the following parameters were measured: vessel diameter, endothelial thickness, macromolecular leakage, red blood cell (RBC) velocity, adherent leukocytes, rolling leukocytes, freely flowing leukocytes, functional capillary density and propidium iodide positive cell nuclei. In control animals there was no significant difference in any parameters over the entire observation period. After one or two hours of ischemia a increase in rolling and adherent leukocytes was measured. After three hours of ischemia there was a significant increase in the mean endothelial thickness and in non-viable cells. After 4 hours of ischemia a significant difference in the extent of macromolecular leakage and the functional capillary density were additionally observed. After 5 hours of ischemia this damage was more pronounced and often so severe that approximately 50% of the vessels demonstrated no-reflow.

Received 8 September 1995; accepted in final form 20 May 1996.
APS Manuscript Number H848-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 4 July 96