Vaskulárna medicína 2/2020

Effect of vitamin C and N-acetylcysteine during ischemia-reperfusion injury in experiment

The main focus of this thesis was to analyze the protective effect of antioxidants on skeletal muscles of lower limbs after experimental induction of acute ischemia and their impact on reduction of tissue damage during reperfusion. Wistar rats (n=95) were the animal models used in this experiment. One hour ischemia was induced in all of the models by clipping of abdominal aorta with atraumatic clip. The rats were divided into 18 experimental groups. I1Ry(3,6,9,12,24,48) - groups with ischemia - reperfusion (IR) injury without the use of antioxidants, I1Ry( 3,6,9,12,24,48)C - groups with IR injury and the use of vitamin C and I1Ry( 3,6,9,12,24,48)NAC - groups with IR injury and the use of N-acetyl cysteine (n=90). Physiological control (FK) group (n=5) were healthy rats without induced IR injury. Histologic changes were analyzed after 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 hours of reperfusion. Tissue samples of gracilis muscle were collected after reperfusion for histologic examination. Significant increase of muscle fiber thickness was morphometrically registered in all the groups with ischemia - reperfusion injury. Administration of vitamin C inhibited the changes of muscle fiber thickness (***p<0,001 I1R24 vs. I1R24C; ***p<0,001 I1R48 vs. I1R48C). The muscle fiber thickness had progressively decreasing tendency upon longer reperfusion in the groups with ischemia-reperfusion injury and the use of N-acetyl cysteine (I1R24NAC, I1R48NAC) almost to physiological levels. Our findings conclude that the use of vitamin C and N-acetyl cysteine reduce the results of ischemia - reperfusion injury.

Keywords: ischemia - reperfusion injury, rat, skeletal muscles, N-acetyl cysteine, vitamin C