Influence of quinacrine on plasma malondialdehyde after small intestinal ischemia and reperfusion.

The influence of quinacrine on malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of lipid peroxidation, activities of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), and myeloperoxidase (MPO)--a neutrophil granulocyte maker in plasma--was examined in rats following ischemia and reperfusion. In the absence of quinacrine, ischemia and reperfusion caused increased MDA content and increased activities of PLA2 and myeloperoxidase in the plasma. All these effects were efficiently inhibited by the PLA2 inhibitor quinacrine. The finding indicates that the occurrence of an increased level of MDA following intestinal ischemia may be used for diagnostic purposes and points to the possibility that high plasma MDA might indicate a need for PLA2 inhibitor treatment.