Effect of selenium on ıschemia-reperfusion ınjured skin-muscle flaps

TENEKECI GOKTEKIN.: Effect of selenium on ischemia-reperfusion injuredskin-muscle flaps: Medical Specialization Thesis in the Department of Plastic,Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University,Malatya, 2011.The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of selenium, antioxidantagent, on ischemia-reperfusion injured skin-muscle flaps. In this study, an experimentalmodel which mimicked the free tissue transfer was applied by using rectus abdominis skinmuscleflap. 12 rats were divided equally into two groups: group 1(n=6) was exposed toischemia-reperfusion injury; in group 2(n=6), 0.625 mg/kg selenium was injected throughintraperitoneal route 2 hours before the induction of ischemia, thereafter the flaps wereexposed to ischemia-reperfusion injury and selenium treatment was continued in the sameway for 10 days more. At the end of the 24th hour malonyldialdehyde, nitric oxide andglutathione levels were measured biochemically while the extent of neutrophil infiltrationwas assessed at the end of 24 hours and the extent of neovascularization was evaluated atthe end of the 10th day, by a patholog who was blinded to the samples. Also, at the end ofthe 10th day, percentage areas of viable tissues of each flap were calculated.Malonyldialdehyde levels increased significantly(p<0,05) in group 1 when compared togroup 2 while, no statistical difference was found for nitric oxide and glutathione levelsbetween group 1 and 2. Neutrophil infiltration was assessed as more intense in group 1when compared to group 2 while neovascularization was found more abundant in group 2.Flap survival in group 2 was higher when compared to group 1(p>0,05). This study showsthat selenium treatment is effective for ischemia-reperfusion injury in skin-muscle flaps.Key Words: Skin-muscle flap, selenium, malonyldialdehyde, nitric oxide,glutathione, ischemia-reperfusion injury.