Effects of ischemia on the development of a deafferentation pain syndrome and on microcirculatory disturbances in rats

In a group of rats with transected sciatic nerve, ischemia of the operated limb produced by femoral artery ligation was found to result in an accelerated onset and increased severity of autotomy as compared to a similar group of rats without ischemia. Biomicroscopic examination of the mesenteric microcirculation showed that the ischemia also intensified disturbances of the terminal blood flow, made the venules more permeable, and increased the percentage of degranulated mast cells. The possible mechanisms by which ischemia promotes the development of chronic pain syndromes are discussed. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 3, pp. 235–237, March, 1994 Presented by G. N. Kryzhanovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences