• Qiong Chen, Qiang Wang, Wen-ying Song, Rui Ma, and Li-ze Xiong.
• Department of Anesthesiology Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
• Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2008 Jul 15;88(27):1916-20.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether postconditioning with sevoflurane could alleviate spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury in rabbits, and whether the beneficial effect is dependent on oxygen free radicals.MethodsIn Experiment 1, 48 male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to six groups (n=8 each). Animals in the sham group only underwent sham-operation. Animals in the control group underwent spinal cord ischemia for 20 min without postconditioning. Animals in 02 postconditioning group (Group O2) inhaled 100% O2 from 5 min before reperfusion and lasted 13 min. Animals in sevoflurane postconditioning groups (Group Sevo0.5, Sevo1.0 and Sevo1.5) inhaled 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) sevoflurane in 100% O2 from 5 min before reperfusion and lasted 10 min, then inhaled 100% O2 for 3 min to wash out the remaining sevoflurane. In Experiment 2, 36 male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups (n=9 each). Animals in O2 and Sevo groups received normal saline (5 ml/kg intravenously) 1 h before postconditioning with 100% O2 and 1.0 MAC sevoflurane, respectively. In the DMTU + Sevo and DMTU + O2 groups, 5 ml/kg of 10% dimethylthiourea (DMTU, a potent oxygen free radical scavenger, dissolved in saline) was administered intravenously at the same time. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by an infrarenal aorta clamping for 20 min. Forty-eight hours after reperfusion, hind-limb motor function and histopathology of the spinal cord were examined in a blinded fashion.Results(1) The neurologic and histopathologic outcomes in the sevoflurane postconditioning groups were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05), the histopathologic outcomes in Sevo1.0 group were better than that in Sevo0.5 and Sevo1.5 groups (P < 0.05). (2) The neurologic and histopathologic outcomes in Sevo, DMTU + Sevo and DMTU + O2 groups were better than those in the O2 group (P < 0.05), the histopathologic outcomes in Sevo group were better than that in the DMTU + Sevo and DMTU + O2 groups (P < 0.05).ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that sevoflurane postconditioning against spinal cord ischemia injury via the release of oxygen free radicals in rabbits.

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