Inflammatory transmitter changes during tourniquet-induced limb ischemia-reperfusion injury and the role of ischemic preconditioning

Yan Bin; Hasilu; Maihemuti Yakufu; Hou Yan-jie; Xu Chao; Yilihamu Tuoheti

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2015.46.013

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Over-expression of serum interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 may be involved in tourniquet-induced limb ischemia-reperfusion injury to the lung ventilation function. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the tourniquet effect on serum interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels of the rat limb within the safety time limit. METHODS: Sixty rats were randomly divided into control and experimental groups, 30 rats in each group. Rats in the control group had no ischemic preconditioning and were directly subjected to stop bleeding for 2, 3, 4 hours; rats in the experimental group were subjected to ischemic preconditioning (short-time hemostasis for several times within 1 day before ischemia-reperfusion injury), and then underwent 2-, 3-, 4-hour hemostasis at the 2nd day. At 1, 3, 7, 14 days after the recovery of limb blood flow, blood samples were extracted to detect serum interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels using ELISA method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The levels of interleukin-6 interleukin-8 showed an increasing and decreasing trend in the two groups, which both reached the peak at the 3rd day (P< 0.05). The levels of interleukin-6 in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group at 1, 3, 7, 14 days (P < 0.05), and only at 7 days, the level of interleukin-6 in the rats undergoing 3-hour hemostasis was significantly lower than that in the control group (P< 0.05). At 7 days, the level of interleukin-8 in the rats undergoing 3-hour hemostasis was lower than that in the control group, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05), and at 3, 7, 14 days, the level of interleukin-8 in the rats undergoing 4-hour hemostasis was significantly higher than that in the control group (P< 0.05). At 1 and 3 days, the levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in the experimental group had an increasing trend with the bleeding time and ranked as folows: 2-hour hemostasis < 3-hour hemostasis < 4-hour hemostasis, and there was a significant difference; while in the control group, there was also an increasing trend in the levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8, but there was no statistical difference. These findings indicate that the tourniquet preconditioning treatment is preferred at 3 days after limb ischemia-reperfusion injury, when the inflammatory response was the most obvious in rats, and this treatment can dramaticaly reduce inflammatory response. Additionaly, the inflammatory become more obvious with the bleeding time.