Tirilazad mesylate improve water immersion stress induced decrease in erythrocyte deformability in the rats.

BACKGROUND

Water immersion stress (WIS) in rats causes decrease in deformability of red blood cells (RBC). We hypothesize that this phenomenon is mediated by reactive oxygen species. Since tirilazad mesylate (U74006F) is a potent scavenger of free oxygen radicals, the aim of this study was to investigate possible influence of this drug on WIS induced decrease in RBC deformability in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The rats were injected i.p. with tirilazad mesylate in a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight or vehiculum at the beginning of the experiment and immersed in water at 23 degrees C to the depth of xyphoid for 5 h. Control rats were kept in normal environment. After 6 h blood samples were collected for examination. An elongation index of RBC measured by Rheodyn SSD (Myrenne GmbH, Germany) was used as a parameter of deformability. Lipid peroxidation products have been assayed in RBC by BIOXYTECH LPO-586 kit.

RESULTS

Tirilazad mesylate prevents a decrease in RBC deformability, but does not prevent an increase in concentration of lipid peroxidation products in erythrocytes during WIS.

CONCLUSION

Positive effect of tirilazad on stress induced decrease in RBC deformability is not related to inhibition of lipid peroxidation within the erythrocytes.