Ethane production as a measure of lipid peroxidation after renal ischemia.

After renal ischemia, oxygen free radicals are formed and produce tissue injury, in large part, through peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. We used an in vivo method to monitor lipid peroxidation after renal ischemia, the measurement of ethane in expired gas, to determine the time course of lipid peroxidation and the effect of several agents to limit lipid peroxidation after renal ischemia. In anesthetized rats there was no significant increase in ethane production during 60 min of renal ischemia. During the first 10 min of renal reperfusion, there was a prompt increase in ethane production from 2.9 +/- 1.3 to 6.3 +/- 1.9 pmol/min (P less than 0.05). Ethane production was significantly increased during the first 50 min of reperfusion and then rapidly tapered to base-line levels. Preischemic administration of allopurinol to prevent superoxide radical generation or the superoxide radical scavenger superoxide dismutase prevented the increase in ethane production during postischemic reperfusion. These studies confirm that there is increase lipid peroxidation following renal ischemia that can be prevented by agents which limit the formation or accumulation of oxygen free radicals. This in vivo method for measuring lipid peroxidation could also be employed to study the effects of ischemia on lipid peroxidation in other organs, as well as to monitor lipid peroxidation in other forms of injury.