Lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant capacity in portal venous and systemic arterial plasma during gradual intestinal ischemia and reperfusion in pigs.

Intestinal ischemia may evoke an inflammatory response and eventually multiple organ failure. We investigated whether intestinal ischemic injury induces systemic lipid peroxidation and changes in the plasma antioxidant capacity in a pig model. Together with cardiovascular parameters, arterial and portal venous blood of 7 pigs were measured for thiobarbituric acid-reactive material diene conjugates, fluorescent chromolipids and plasma antioxidant capacity during graded occlusion of superior mesenteric artery and reperfusion. Plasma levels of lipid peroxidation products did not change significantly during graded ischemia and reperfusion. Portal venous plasma antioxidant capacity increased slightly during reperfusion (from 96.16 +/- to 3.91 to 142.49 +/- 12.01 mumol/l, p < 0.05). Although elevated levels of free radical reaction products have been found in ischemia-reperfusion, we found no evidence of systemic lipid peroxidation in our intestinal ischemia model.