INTRODUCTION: Multiple factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of reperfusion injury in the skin, including the reactive oxygen species. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effect of reperfusion injury in the rat skin flap evaluated by tissue assay for malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and xanthine oxidase (XO). METHODS: 8 Wistar rats were used, between 300-400g weight and two identical epigastric flaps were raised in each animal (control and experiment), the vasculature of one flap was left intact and in the second flap the arterial pedicle was clamped for 16 hours and reperfused for 45 minutes. Skin samples were obtained from each flap after these periods of time and submitted to MDA and XO analysis. RESULTS: Reperfused flaps had significantly increased MDA and XO values compared to the control flaps biopsies. CONCLUSION: The lipid peroxidation levels were higher in the rat epigastric skin flaps subjected to 16 hours of ischemia and 45 minutes of reperfusion.
Ischemia; Reperfusion; Epigastric flap; Lipid peroxidation; Rats
