脂肪干细胞在泌尿系统疾病中的研究进展

脂肪干细胞(adipose-derived stem cells,ADSCs)是一类从脂肪分离出来的具有自我更新及多向分化潜能的成体干细胞,ADSCs具有高度的可塑性,可分化成多种类型的细胞。与其他干细胞相比,ADSCs具有来源充足,取材方便,供体易接受等独特优势,已成为基础医学及临床治疗的研究热点。ADSCs诱导分化和移植可有效治疗多种组织损伤性疾病,改善或修复器官功能,近年来ADSCs作为细胞疗法及组织工程的新型种子细胞在泌尿系统疾病治疗中取得了重大进展。本文重点讨论ADSCs的生物学特性及其在泌尿系统疾病中的应用前景。     

脂肪干细胞治疗心肌梗死的机制与新策略

介绍脂肪干细胞（ADSCs）治疗心肌梗死机制及用于提高心肌梗死治疗效果的新策略。广泛查阅近年关于ADSCs用于治疗心肌梗死的基础与临床实验研究文献,并进行整理、综合与分析。ADSCs移植治疗心肌梗死的机制研究取得了一定的进展,其机制主要包括分化为心肌细胞、参与梗死区血管形成、通过旁分泌功能改善梗死区微环境等。对ADSCs进行缺氧耐受预处理、使用新型生物材料、联合细胞因子以及药物等,可以大大提高移植细胞的存活率,促进细胞的增殖与分化,改善心肌梗死治疗效果,加快心脏功能的恢复。ADSCs可能通过多种机制发挥治疗心肌梗死的作用,进一步提高移植细胞成活率和性能稳定性是增加ADSCs治疗心肌梗死效果的关键。随着研究的不断深入,ADSCs可能为未来心肌梗死的临床治疗带来新的希望。     

脂肪干细胞的共培养及其分化应用概述

干细胞在体外特定培养条件下可以被诱导分化成具有不同体细胞表型的细胞。除了通过不同培养条件进行体外诱导分化的方法外,用成熟体细胞与干细胞共培养同样可以诱导干细胞定向分化。以下首先简述了脂肪干细胞 (Adipose-derived stem cells,ADSCs) 的来源及其标志,然后重点就ADSCs的不同培养方法、诱导分化及最新的临床应用进行阐述,包括药物及化学诱导培养、体细胞与ADSCs二维、三维共培养等,最后提出ADSCs的问题所在并对此技术进行展望。     

重组腺病毒介导HGF修饰ADSCs对大鼠肝损伤模型的治疗作用

目的：建立重组腺病毒介导肝细胞生长因子HGF促ADSCs 定向分化肝细胞的方法,并对其参与肝损伤修复能力进行验证,为作为治疗肝损伤细胞来源提供参考。方法：采用消化培养的方法,分离SD 大鼠腹股沟脂肪组织ADSCs 细胞,连续传代3 次对其进行纯化培养,利用形态学鉴定、流式细胞术检测ADSCs 表面标志物方法对其间充质干细胞样特征进行鉴定,加入成脂肪细胞诱导液观察其分化成脂肪细胞的能力;构建腺病毒表达HGF载体Adeno-HGF-EGFP,并转染ADSCs 细胞,利用免疫细胞化学染色方法检测肝细胞标志分子表达水平;最后建立大鼠肝损伤动物模型,观察Adeno-HGF-EGFP 转染的ADSCs 细胞参与肝损伤修复能力情况。结果：分离的ADSCs 细胞形态较为一致,绝大多数呈梭形,排列不规则。流式细胞术结果显示,该细胞表达CD29、CD90、CD106 等间充质干细胞细胞表面标记物,低表达造血干细胞细胞表面标记物CD34、CD45,同时,分离的ADSCs 细胞具有诱导分化成脂肪细胞能力;Adeno-HGF-EGFP 转染ADSCs后,AFP、ALB、CK18 等肝细胞特异性分子表达水平升高;经尾静脉注射ADSCs 细胞后,肝损伤大鼠的AST、ALT、TBIL 等分子表达水平恢复正常。结论：建立了重组腺病毒介导肝细胞生长因子HGF促ADSCs定向分化肝细胞的方法,并且表达HGF的ADSCs 细胞具有修复大鼠肝损伤模型能力,这为通过细胞治疗肝损伤提供了新的细胞来源。     

重组腺病毒介导 HGF 修饰 ADSCs 对大鼠肝损伤模型的治疗作用

摘要 目的：建立重组腺病毒介导肝细胞生长因子 HGF 促 ADSCs 定向分化肝细胞的方法,并对其参与肝损伤修复能力进行验 证, 为作为治疗肝损伤细胞来源提供参考。 方法： 采用消化培养的方法, 分离 SD 大鼠腹股沟脂肪组织 ADSCs 细胞, 连续传代 3 次 对其进行纯化培养, 利用形态学鉴定、 流式细胞术检测 ADSCs 表面标志物方法对其间充质干细胞样特征进行鉴定, 加入成脂肪 细胞诱导液观察其分化成脂肪细胞的能力; 构建腺病毒表达 HGF 载体 Adeno-HGF-EGFP, 并转染 ADSCs 细胞, 利用免疫细胞化 学染色方法检测肝细胞标志分子表达水平; 最后建立大鼠肝损伤动物型, 观察 Adeno-HGF-EGFP 转染的 ADSCs 细胞参与肝损 伤修复能力情况。结果： 分离的 ADSCs 细胞形态较为一致, 绝大多数呈梭形, 排列不规则。流式细胞术结果显示, 该细胞表达 CD29、 CD90、 CD106 等间充质干细胞细胞表面标记物, 低表达造血干细胞细胞表面标记物 CD34、 CD45, 同时, 分离的 ADSCs 细 胞具有诱导分化成脂肪细胞能力; Adeno-HGF-EGFP 转染 ADSCs 后, AFP、 ALB、 CK18 等肝细胞特异性分子表达水平升高;经尾 静脉注射 ADSCs 细胞后, 肝损伤大鼠的 AST、 ALT、 TBIL 等分子表达水平恢复正常。结论： 建立了重组腺病毒介导肝细胞生长因 子 HGF 促 ADSCs 定向分化肝细胞的方法, 并且表达 HGF 的 ADSCs 细胞具有修复大鼠肝损伤模型能力, 这为通过细胞治疗肝损 伤提供了新的细胞来源。     

脂肪干细胞的诱导分化及其来源的研究

目的:通过组织块培养法得到脂肪干细胞(adipose-derived stem cells,ADSCs),探讨其诱导分化潜能,并初步研究ADSCs的来源。方法:用脂肪组织块培养法培养原代人ADSCs。第三代ADSCs进行成脂和成骨诱导分化,分别用油红O和茜素红S染色进行鉴定。脂肪组织块培养七天后取脂肪组织进行Hematoxylin-eosin Staining(HE)染色观察ADSCs组织分布。结果:用脂肪组织块培养法成功培养出原代人ADSCs。ADSCs传代到第8代,依然保持着良好的增殖能力和细胞形态。ADSCs能成功诱导成脂肪细胞和骨细胞。通过对培养七天后的脂肪组织块进行HE染色,发现ADSCs主要分布在脂肪组织的间质血管和结缔组织周围。结论:用脂肪组织块培养出来的ADSCs具有成脂和成骨分化的潜能。ADSCs主要定位于间质血管和结缔组织周围。     

ADSCs联合Exendin-4治疗糖尿病大鼠创面愈合的机制研究

摘要 目的：探究ADSCs联合Exendin-4治疗糖尿病大鼠创面愈合的效果及可能机制。方法：通过高脂饲料喂养和腹腔注射链脲佐菌素（STZ,45 mg/kg）建立糖尿病SD大鼠模型。使用直径1 cm的皮肤打孔活检器在大鼠背部制作创面。将72只建模成功的大鼠随机分为糖尿病组、ADSCs组、Exendin-4组和ADSCs+Exendin-4组,每组18只。未建模的20只大鼠作为对照组。皮肤创伤后1天,按照指定给药方案进行给药,每天给药1次,共14天。检测治疗后大鼠的血糖、创面愈合率、微血管密度、创面组织学改变和血管生成因子（VEGF-A、VEGFR-2、PDGF-BB、PDGFR-β和HIF-1α）的蛋白表达水平。另外,将HUVEC细胞分为对照组、高糖组、ADSCs组、Exendin-4组和ADSCs+Exendin-4组,并对各组细胞进行相应的处理。检测了ADSCs和Exendin-4对缺氧和高糖培养的HUVEC的增殖、迁移和血管生成的影响。结果：ADSCs和/或Exendin-4治疗组大鼠的血糖水平与糖尿病组无显著差异（P>0.05）。与单独治疗组相比,ADSCs+Exendin-4组的创面愈合率、微血管密度和创面组织中VEGF-A、VEGFR-2、PDGF-BB、PDGFR-β和HIF-1α的蛋白表达水平显著升高（P<0.05）。与单独治疗组的HUVEC相比,ADSCs+Exendin-4组的HUVEC的增殖、迁移和血管生成能力显著提高,并且血管生成因子的表达水平明显上调（P<0.05）。结论：对糖尿病大鼠创面组织局部施用ADSCs和Exendin-4可明显促进创面愈合。ADSCs和Exendin-4通过促进内皮细胞的增殖、迁移及血管生成因子的分泌来促进血管生成和创面愈合。     

从文献计量学角度探讨脂肪间充质干细胞的发展历程

目的通过分析脂肪间充质干细胞(ADSCs)科技论文被国际权威检索工具SCI收录情况,评价ADSCs领域的发展历程及应用前景。方法应用文献计量学和数理统计方法对SCI数据库收录近20余年ADSCs领域科技论文进行统计,并用书目共现分析系统Bicomb和UCINET进行结果分析。结果截止到2016年12月31日SCI一共收录ADSCs领域科技论文8 128篇,其中我国发文1 372篇,美国、中国、韩国为核心发文国。期刊分布中载文量大的期刊出版地多为美国、英格兰、荷兰等;共4 239篇获得1 000余项基金的支持;高频被引文献大多来自美国、德国、日本,尤其Zuk PA 2001和2002发表的2篇文献共被引6 791次;ADSCs的研究领域主要停留在基础实验研究层面上;ADSCs治疗疾病常见的有心肌梗死、骨关节炎和糖尿病等。结论 ADSCs具有的增殖、分化、再生、来源广泛等特点,可作为再生治疗过程中重要的种子细胞,被生命科学界寄予了无限的希望。ADSCs起步于上世纪90年代,于2001年后快速发展,发文量成几何倍数增长,随着ADSCs技术的不断发展,其将会极大地推动再生医学及美容医学向前迈进,越来越多的患者也会因此而受益。     

脂肪干细胞促进肌腱损伤修复研究进展

脂肪干细胞（adipose-derived stem cells, ADSCs）具有来源广泛、易于获取、体外扩增、免疫原性低等许多优于其他组织来源间充质干细胞（mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs）的特点,越来越多的研究开始关注如何将其应用于组织损伤的治疗与修复。就近几年来国内外ADSCs的发现与分离、向肌腱谱系分化能力以及在肌腱损伤修复方面的应用进行了综述,分析了ADSCs应用于肌腱损伤修复时的优势和面临的问题,并对未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

脂肪组织来源间充质干细胞生物学特性及与肥胖的关系

脂肪组织来源间充质干细胞（adipose tissue—derived stem cells,ADSCs）因储量丰富、获取简便、扩增迅速、可被诱导多向分化、免疫原性低等诸多优点受到广泛关注,为多种疾病的治疗提供了新思路。肥胖及其相关疾病的发生率日益上升,严重影响人类的生存质量。ADSCs在肥胖的发生和发展过程中起着不可忽视的作用。该文着重对近十年ADSCs的生物学特性研究进展及其在肥胖发生与发展中的作用进行综述,为其早日应用于临床实践提供参考。     

GDNF-ADSCs-APG embedding enhances sciatic nerve regeneration after electrical injury in a rat model

The pluripotency of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) makes them appropriate for tissue repair and wound healing. Owing to the repair properties of autologous platelet–rich gel (APG), which is based on easily accessible blood platelets, its clinical use has been increasingly recognized by physicians. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined treatment with ADSCs and APG on sciatic nerve regeneration after electrical injury. To facilitate the differentiation of ADSCs, glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was overexpressed in ADSCs by lentivirus transfection. GDNF-ADSCs were mingled with APG gradient concentrations, and in vitro, cell proliferation and differentiation were examined with 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining and immunofluorescence. A rat model was established by exposing the sciatic nerve to an electrical current of 220 V for 3 seconds. Rat hind-limb motor function and sciatic nerve regeneration were subsequently evaluated. Rat ADSCs were characterized by high expression of CD90 and CD105, with scant expression of CD34 and CD45. We found that GDNF protein expression in ADSCs was elevated after Lenti-GDNF transfection. In GDNF-ADSCs-APG cultures, GDNF was increasingly produced while tissue growth factor-β was reduced as incubation time was increased. ADSC proliferation was augmented and neuronal nuclei (NeuN) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression were upregulated in GDNF-ADSCs-APG. In addition, limb motor function and nerve axon growth were improved after GDNF-ADSCs-APG treatment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the combined effect of ADSCs and APG in peripheral nerve regeneration and may lead to treatments that benefit patients with electrical injuries.     

In Vivo Detection of Macrophage Recruitment in Hind-Limb Ischemia Using a Targeted Near-Infrared Fluorophore

Macrophages are an essential component of the immune system and have protective and pathogenic functions in various diseases. Imaging of macrophages in vivo could furnish new tools to advance evaluation of disease and therapies. Critical limb ischemia is a disease in which macrophages have considerable pathogenic roles, and are potential targets for cell-based immunotherapy. We sought to develop a new near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging probe to target macrophages specifically in vivo in various pathological states, including hind-limb ischemia. We rapidly screened the photostable cyanine-based NIRF library against different blood cell lines. The identified monocyte/macrophage-selective hit was tested in vitro in live-cell labeling assay. Non-invasive NIRF imaging was performed with murine models of paw inflammation by lipopolysaccharide challenge and hind-limb ischemia with femoral artery ligation. in vivo macrophage targeting was further evaluated using intravital microscopy with Csf1r-EGFP transgenic mice and immunofluorescent staining with macrophage-specific markers. We discovered MF800, a Macrophage-specific near-infrared Fluorophore, which showed selective live-cell imaging performance in a panel of cell lines and primary human blood samples. MF800 outperforms the clinically-available NIRF contrast agent ICG for in vivo specificity in paw inflammation and hind-limb ischemia models. We observed a marked overlap of MF800-labeled cells and EGFP-expressing macrophages in intravital imaging of Csf1r-EGFP transgenic mice. In the histologic analysis, MF800-positive cells also expressed the macrophage markers CD68 and CD169. NIRF imaging showcased the potential of using MF800 to understand macrophage behavior in vivo, characterize macrophage-associated diseases, and may help in assessing therapeutic responses in the clinic.     

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Expressing the Neurogenin-2 Promote Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury in Rat

Neurogenin2 (Ngn2) is a proneural gene that directs neuronal differentiation of progenitor cells during development. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) over-expressing the Ngn2 transgene (Ngn2–ADSCs) could display the characteristics of neurogenic cells and improve functional recovery in an experimental rat model of SCI. ADSCs from rats were cultured and purified in vitro, followed by genetically modified with the Ngn2 gene. Forty-eight adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the control, ADSCs, and Ngn2–ADSCs groups. The hind-limb motor function of all rats was recorded using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale for 8 weeks. Moreover, hematoxylineosin staining and immunohistochemistry were also performed. After neural induction, positive expression rate of NeuN in Ngn2–ADSCs group was upon 90 %. Following transplantation, a great number of ADSCs was found around the center of the injury spinal cord at 1 and 4 weeks, which improved retention of tissue at the lesion site. Ngn2–ADSCs differentiated into neurons, indicated by the expression of neuronal markers, NeuN and Tuj1. Additionally, transplantation of Ngn2–ADSCs upregulated the trophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor), and inhibited the glial scar formation, which was indicated by immunohistochemistry with glial fibrillary acidic protein. Finally, Ngn2–ADSCs-treated animals showed the highest functional recovery among the three groups. These findings suggest that transplantation of Ngn2-overexpressed ADSCs promote the functional recovery from SCI, and improve the local microenvironment of injured cord in a more efficient way than that with ADSCs alone.     

Transplantation of Mesenchymal Cells Improves Peripheral Limb Ischemia in Diabetic Rats

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) are a prominent cellular source for regenerative medicine. We tested whether transplantation of ADSCs into the ischemic muscular tissue of diabetic animals would attenuate impaired cell metabolism and microcirculatory function. We induced unilateral hind limb ischemia in male streptozotocin-treated rats and nondiabetic controls. One day after femoral artery ligation, six rats per group were intramuscularly injected allogeneic ADSCs (10⁶–10⁷–10⁸ cells/mL); or conditioned media from ADSC cultures (CM); or saline; or allogeneic fibroblasts (10⁷ cells/mL); or nonconditioned medium. Rats underwent magnetic resonance angiography; short time inversion recovery (STIR) edema-weighed imaging; proton MR spectroscopy (¹H-MRS); immunoblotting and immunofluorescence on both hind limbs for 4 weeks. T₁-weighted and STIR images showed tissue swelling and signal hyperintensity, respectively, in the ischemic tissue. The mean total ratio of creatine/water for the occluded limbs was significantly lower than for the nonoccluded limbs in both nondiabetic and diabetic rats. ADSC and CM groups had greater recovery of tCr/water in ischemic limbs in both diabetic and nondiabetic rats, with increased expression of α-sarcomeric actinin, vascular endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, as well as increased vessel density. ADSCs improve ischemic muscle metabolism and increase neovasculogenesis in diabetic rats.     

The morphogen Sonic hedgehog is an indirect angiogenic agent upregulating two families of angiogenic growth factors

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a prototypical morphogen known to regulate epithelial/mesenchymal interactions during embryonic development. We found that the hedgehog-signaling pathway is present in adult cardiovascular tissues and can be activated in vivo. Shh was able to induce robust angiogenesis, characterized by distinct large-diameter vessels. Shh also augmented blood-flow recovery and limb salvage following operatively induced hind-limb ischemia in aged mice. In vitro, Shh had no effect on endothelial-cell migration or proliferation; instead, it induced expression of two families of angiogenic cytokines, including all three vascular endothelial growth factor-1 isoforms and angiopoietins-1 and -2 from interstitial mesenchymal cells. These findings reveal a novel role for Shh as an indirect angiogenic factor regulating expression of multiple angiogenic cytokines and indicate that Shh might have potential therapeutic use for ischemic disorders.     

Ecological correlates of hind-limb length in the Carnivora

What determines the lengths and proportions of mammalian limbs? While the answer to this question is still largely unknown, a number of workers have recently begun analysing the selection of morphology in a rigorous framework, searching for quantitative links between structure, performance, and their ecological and behavioural context. The present study investigates a variety of ecological and behavioural variables to determine whether or not they are correlated with hind-limb length in the Carnivora. Data were analysed by using phylogenetically independent contrasts and phylogenetic analysis of covariance. We found that traditional perceptions of limb length are often inaccurate; some species widely regarded as relatively long-legged actually have limb lengths near those expected for their body size. Interestingly, relative hind-limb length is not a significant predictor of distance moved daily, home-range area, or prey size. Phylogenetic ANCOVA results, however, indicate a relationship between prey-capture behaviour and relative hind-limb length. These findings suggest that the evolution of carnivoran limb length has been most influenced by selection for prey-capture behaviour. These results, coupled with those of other studies, can be used to suggest which performance variables could most fruitfully be studied in the laboratory to understand the selection of the structure of the mammalian limb. We suggest that relevant performance variables might be: maximum jump height and/or length, the ability to generate outforces, and levels of stress tolerance in limb bones during prey pursuit/capture.     

Intramyocardial injection of hypoxia-preconditioned adipose-derived stromal cells treats acute myocardial infarction: an in vivo study in swine

Hypoxic preconditioning is a promising method for improving the anti-apoptotic and paracrine signaling capabilities of adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs). The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of different hypoxic conditions on ADSCs and the therapeutic effects of hypoxia-preconditioned ADSCs (HPADSCs) on an animal model of myocardial infarction (MI). For the in vitro studies, ADSCs were divided into five groups and cultured in different oxygen concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10, and 21 %). After 24 h, RT-PCR and western blots showed that 3 % oxygen preconditioning could improve the viability and cytokine secretion of the ADSCs. A Matrigel assay indicated that the HPADSC-conditioned medium could stimulate endothelial cells to form capillary-like tubes. For the in vivo studies, MI was induced by coronary occlusion in 24 mature Chinese minipigs. The animals were divided into three groups and treated by intramyocardial injection with vehicle alone (saline group), with 1?×?10⁸ ADSCs cultured in normoxic conditions (ADSCs group) or with 1?×?10⁸ ADSCs precultured in 3 % oxygen (HPADSCs group). SPECT and echocardiography demonstrated that cardiac function was improved significantly in the HPADSC transplant group compared with the vehicle control group (P?P?相似文献   

一种体外快速分离脂肪来源干细胞的方法

目的:以小鼠为模型,建立一种基于流式细胞仪为检测手段的快速分离脂肪来源干细胞的方法,解决间充质干细胞进入实际应用过程中遇到的难题。方法:取BALB/c小鼠腹股沟内侧的皮下脂肪组织,采用Ⅰ型胶原酶消化等系列措施,获取脂肪干细胞(adipose-derived stem cells,ADSCs)。所得细胞分离培养4代后,流式细胞仪分选出CD73+CD45-ADSCs后成骨诱导分化。碱性磷酸酶染色和实时荧光定量PCR检测其分化情况。结果:刚分离培养的ADSCs细胞普遍呈圆形或椭圆形,传至第三代的细胞,非MSCs细胞逐渐被淘汰,剩余的细胞形态逐渐变得一致,细胞形态呈梭形。流式细胞仪检测发现ADSCs细胞表面抗原标记CD73+CD45-为20.7%。所得的ADSCs成骨诱导分化后碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,ALP)染色呈阳性,实时荧光定量PCR检测成骨标志基因发现它们表达上调,其中ALP的表达高达22倍。结论:本方法可以获得纯度较高的ADSCs,且耗时少成本低;且提示可采用该方法来获得大量的人源ADSCs用于组织工程修复。     

Efficient Generation of Neural Stem Cell-Like Cells from Rat Adipose Derived Stem Cells After Lentiviral Transduction with Green Fluorescent Protein

Neural stem cells (NSCs) can be isolated from nervous tissues or derived from embryonic stem cells. However, their procurement for clinical applications is limited, and there is a need for alternative types of cell that have NSCs properties. In the present study, the differentiation potential of rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) was evaluated by infecting these cells with a lentiviral vector-encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP). ADSCs transduced with lentivirus were able to generate NSC-like cells, without any effects on their growth, phenotype, and normal differentiation potential. NSC-like cells derived from ADSCs formed neurospheres and expressed high levels of the neural progenitor marker nestin. In the absence of selected growth factors, these neurospheres differentiated into neurons expressing NeuN and MAP2 and GFAP-expressing glia, as determined by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. These results demonstrate that ADSCs can be induced to generate neurospheres that have NSC-like properties and may thus constitute a potential source of cells in stem cell therapy for neurological disorders.     

Tourniquet shock in rats: effects of allopurinol on biochemical changes of the gastrocnemius muscle subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion

Recent data suggest that oxygen free radicals are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury. This study evaluates the effects of allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor, on malonaldehyde generation, free sulfhydryl levels, oxygen consumption, and water contents of rat gastrocnemius muscles of female Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to tourniquet shock and after hind-limb reperfusion. Serum lactic dehydrogenase isozyme patterns after ligature release were also examined. Our results show that the four muscle parameters were not altered during 5 hr of ischemia, but that on hind-limb reperfusion, malonaldehyde production, SH levels, O2 consumption, and water contents were significantly altered in the control animals, but not in those pretreated with allopurinol. LDH serum patterns of the untreated animals showed the presence of all five isoforms; these were much less evident in the drug-protected rats. Our data suggest that following ischemia, the affected muscles are unable to recover their normal function when reperfusion is resumed. The subsequent damage is probably due to the generation of cytotoxic superoxide radicals formed during the XO-catalyzed transformation of hypoxanthine to uric acid on tissue reoxygenation. The severity of tissue damage is related to the duration of the ischemic episode possibly due to hypoxanthine accumulation during ischemia.