%0 Journal Article
%T Beneficial effect of the oxygen free radical scavenger amifostine (WR-2721) on spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits
%A Fany Chronidou
%A Efstratios Apostolakis
%A Ioannis Papapostolou
%A Konstantinos Grintzalis
%A Christos D Georgiou
%A Efstratios N Koletsis
%A Menelaos Karanikolas
%A Panagiotis Papathanasopoulos
%A Dimitrios Dougenis
%J Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1749-8090-4-50
%X Eighteen male, New Zealand white rabbits were anesthetized and spinal cord ischemia was induced by temporary occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta by a coronary artery balloon catheter, advanced through the femoral artery. The animals were randomly divided in 3 groups. Group I functioned as control. In group II the descending aorta was occluded for 30 minutes and then reperfused for 75 min. In group III, 500 mg Amifostine was infused into the distal aorta during the second half-time of ischemia period. At the end of reperfusion all animals were sacrificed and spinal cord specimens were examined for superoxide radicals by an ultra sensitive fluorescent assay.Superoxide radical levels ranged, in group I between 1.52 and 1.76 (1.64 ¡À 0.10), in group II between 1.96 and 2.50 (2.10 ¡À 0.23), and in group III (amifostine) between 1.21 and 1.60 (1.40 ¡À 0.19) (p = 0.00), showing a decrease of 43% in the Group of Amifostine. A lipid peroxidation marker measurement ranged, in group I between 0.278 and 0.305 (0.296 ¡À 0.013), in group II between 0.427 and 0.497 (0.463 ¡À 0.025), and in group III (amifostine) between 0.343 and 0.357 (0.350 ¡À 0.007) (p < 0.00), showing a decrease of 38% after Amifostine administration.By direct and indirect methods of measuring the oxidative stress of spinal cord after ischemia/reperfusion, it is suggested that intra-aortic Amifostine infusion during spinal cord ischemia phase, significantly attenuated the spinal cord oxidative injury in rabbits.Paraplegia remains the most devastating complication following descending thoracic or thoraco-abdominal aortic surgery, with incidence rate from 4% to 33% [1]. It is known that spinal cord ischemia from hypoperfusion during temporary aorta cross clamping, as well as the sacrifice of some intercostals branches contributing to the form of Adamkiewicz's artery, are the cause of this complication. The clinical evidence that some patients recover with no neurological dysfunction only to develop delayed-onse
%U http://www.cardiothoracicsurgery.org/content/4/1/50