BACKGROUND: Prolonged ischemia leads to alterations in tissue microcirculation and oxygen free radicals production. This event is called no reflow phenomenon and its management is a challenge to the surgeon dealing with replantation. It was tested a replantation model after warm ischemia in rats and the effectiveness of allopurinol and hyperbaric oxigen therapy. METHODS: Amputation with preservation of vessels and nerves of the right hind limb was proceeded in 95 rats. The groups M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 were submitted to 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours of ischemia. The limbs were observed for seven days and the survival limb rates in each group were 100%, 80%, 63,6%, 50% and 20% respectively. M4 was elected control for experimental groups. The groups E1 and E2 were submitted to 6 hours of ischemia and were treated with allopurinol and hyperbaric oxigen therapy. The survival limb rates were 70% and 30% respectively. RESULTS: M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 were statistically different except for M3 and M4. E1 had a better limb survival than M4. E2 had a worse limb survival than M4. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the administration of allopurinol may be helpful to improve limb salvage after ischemia and hyperbaric oxigen therapy may not be helpful and even can be harmful to ischemic limbs.
Rats, Wistar; Replantation; Ischemia; Reperfusion; Allopurinol; Oxigen
