Use of small volume hypertonic acetate dextran during aortic occlusion in pigs: assessment of blood flow and antioxidant status in tissues

RESULTS: As blood flow fell to zero in lower spinal cord and muscle, it doubled in the upper cord and increased 6-fold in upper muscle. Upon reperfusion, blood flow in all regions returned to baseline levels, with no statistical differences between HAD and Controls. Lipid peroxidation in plasma was lower in HAD than Controls. Lower muscle had 41% lower glutathione levels and significantly lower activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and reductase, catalase, superoxide dismutase versus upper muscle. The lower spinal cord had 2.5 fold higher malondialdehyde levels and 50% higher catalase activity than upper spinal cord. Within a tissue, any significant differences in antioxidant status or evidence of lipid peroxidation favored HAD over Control.