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(Circulation. 1997;95:787-789.)
© 1997 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

Reactive Oxygen Species and Platelet Activation in Reperfusion Injury

Rosemarie C. Forde, PhD; Desmond J. Fitzgerald, MD

the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St. Stephens Green, Dublin.

Correspondence to Desmond J. Fitzgerald, MD, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. E-mail dfitzgerald@rcsi.ie.

Key Words: Editorials • platelets • reperfusion • free radicals

	Introduction

 
Reperfusion of ischemic myocardium results in an abrupt aggravation of the cardiomyocyte injury. Compelling evidence that cell injury results from reoxygenation during reperfusion has been demonstrated experimentally by the introduction of oxygen into hypoxic hearts, resulting in abrupt ultrastructural damage to the surrounding tissue.¹ This reperfusion/reoxygenation injury appears to be due to the generation of OFRs, a highly reactive species that interact with several cellular targets and result in injury. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and spin trapping agents have demonstrated increases in the production of OFRs during ischemia/reperfusion,^{2 3} and the use of antioxidants and free radical scavengers has implicated OFRs as important mediators of the subsequent cell injury.

	Consequences of OFR Production in Vivo

 
There are several potential sources of OFR generation (see the Table) during ischemia/reperfusion of vascular tissue.^{4 5 6} Platelets can produce superoxide (O₂^-), as can almost all aerobic cells, but the primary source after an oxygen burst is via neutrophil NADPH oxidase or from leakage of electrons from the electron transport chain in the mitochondria.⁷ Most of the O₂^- anions produced escape into the surrounding medium and form H₂O₂ through the activity of superoxide dismutase. H₂O₂ is not a free radical but can react with O₂^- and generate the highly reactive hydroxyl radical OH·. Another potential source of free radicals is arachidonic acid metabolism by cyclooxygenase and lipooxygenase, which generate intermediate peroxy compounds, hydroperoxy compounds, and OH· radicals.⁸

View this table: [in this window] [in a new window]   Table 1. Oxygen Free Radicals and Oxidation/Reduction Reactions That Occur in the Vascular System

All the major classes of biomolecules can be . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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