Document Detail


Hypoxic preconditioning increases skin oxygenation and viability but does not alter VEGF expression or vascular density.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18331223     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Intermittent hypoxia is known to elicit adaptive changes that increase tissue oxygen delivery. We investigated the effects of intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE) in normal skin (course study) and evaluated whether preoperative IHE-preconditioning alleviates acute ischemic injury in skin flaps (flap study). For 4 weeks, 55 rats were exposed to a daily IHE-session (6 hypoxic cycles, 9% O(2), 6 to 10 min) separated by 3 min of reoxygenation (20.9% O(2)). The time course of intracutaneous PO(2) was measured at weekly intervals. VEGF/VEGF-receptor-mRNA and vascular density were measured in normal skin before and after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of the IHE course (20 rats). In 35 rats, skin flaps were elevated after IHE and similar studies were undertaken in samples from 3 flap areas at postoperative days 0.5, 2, and 4. Additionally, flap survival and cutaneous blood flow were quantitated. In normal skin, PO(2) was initially significantly decreased during the hypoxic cycles (PO(2) 4.1 +/- 1.5 mmHg). After 4 weeks of IHE, PO(2) (34.5 +/- 5.8 mmHg) was maintained even under hypoxic conditions. In flaps, IHE led to a 2.6-fold increase in PO(2), increased flap survival (+ 19.4%, day 7), and blood flow (+ 19.1%, day 10) (p < 0.01). In neither study did IHE-preconditioning increase VEGF/VEGF-receptor-mRNA expression or vascular density. We conclude that (1) IHE induces pronounced hypoxia in the skin, but progressive adaptation occurs within 4 weeks, (2) preoperative IHE-preconditioning leads to significantly higher PO(2), blood flow, and tissue survival in ischemic skin flaps, and (3) the transient hypoxia induced by IHE does not alter expression of VEGF or its receptors nor does it trigger angiogenesis.
Authors:
Kai U Schlaudraff; Michael S Pepper; Elena N Tkatchouk; Igor Ehrenburg; Navid Alizadeh; Denys Montandon; Brigitte Pittet
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  High altitude medicine & biology     Volume:  9     ISSN:  1527-0297     ISO Abbreviation:  High Alt. Med. Biol.     Publication Date:  2008  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-03-11     Completed Date:  2008-07-22     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  100901183     Medline TA:  High Alt Med Biol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  76-88     Citation Subset:  IM; S    
Affiliation:
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Unit, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acclimatization*
Animals
Anoxia / metabolism*
Male
Oxygen Consumption*
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Regional Blood Flow
Skin / metabolism*,  pathology
Surgical Flaps / blood supply
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / metabolism*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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