Combined L-arginine and antioxidative vitamin treatment mollifies ischemia-reperfusion injury of skeletal muscle.

Enhanced production of superoxide in l-arginine–depleted environments and concomitant reduction of nitric oxide (NO) concentration are involved in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Treatment with l-arginine or antioxidative vitamins alone and in combination was used to mollify I/R injury in skeletal muscle. Untreated rabbits were compared with those treated with l-arginine/antioxidative vitamin cocktail Omnibionta only, or a combination of l-arginine/ antioxidative vitamins during hind limb I/R (2.5 hours/2 hours). NO was continuously measured in vivo. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) served as the measure of oxygen free radical formation. Interstitial edema formation, microvessel diameter alterations, microvessel plugging, and blood flow changes were used as indicators of I/R injury.