Differences between arterial and mixed venous levels of plasma hydroperoxides following major thoracic and abdominal operations.

Fatty acid hydroperoxides in the plasma of 18 patients who were undergoing normal postoperative periods following major thoracic or abdominal operations were measured by using a sensitive assay based upon the activation of the cyclooxygenase activity of prostaglandin H synthase. Following major thoracic operations of nine patients, the mean difference between the arterial (0.49 +/- 0.13 microM, mean +/- S.E.M.) and mixed venous (-0.09 +/- 0.12 microM) level of hydroperoxide was 0.58 +/- 0.13 microM (p less than 0.01). In marked contrast to this result, major abdominal operations of nine patients led to a mean difference between the arterial (-0.19 +/- 0.16 microM) and mixed venous (0.46 +/- 0.08 microM) hydroperoxide levels of -0.65 +/- 0.17 microM (p less than 0.01). Both pulmonary and intraabdominal tissues appear capable of generating significant amounts of fatty acid hydroperoxide in response to standard surgical procedures. The A-MV differences suggest that the blood-borne hydroperoxides were rapidly cleared from the circulation by tissue capillary beds.