Effect of scavengers of superoxide radicals in reducing ischemic injury of skin flaps

In recent years, an extensive attention has been paid to the effects of oxygen free radicals on tissue injury. Although some studies have been demonstrated that the oxygen free radicals are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury in island skin flaps, none of the experimental study has been domestically reported. The authors used the island flap of the rats as an animal model to investigate the effectiveness of free radical scavengers in preventing reperfusion injury after ischemia in island skin flap. The results suggest that the scavenger of superoxide radical--superoxide dismutase (SOD) which was directly injected into the flap before and after reperfusion increases the survival rate of the flap obviously (93.6% v.s. control 63.7%). This findings are consistent with the theory that the ischemic tissue injury is caused by the oxygen free radicals produced at the time of tissue reperfusion.