The kinetics of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase in experimentally induced ischemia-reperfusion injury of the canine jejunum.

In this study, the kinetics of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) in experimentally induced ischemia-reperfusion injury of the canine jejunum were examined using immunohistochemical procedures, and evaluated as an index for the viability of transplants. A pedicled jejunal graft was subjected to arterial reperfusion after clamping the supplying blood vessels for 30 min. Under nonischemic conditions, some of the goblets in the goblet cells and the mucin covering the surface of the villi were stained positively with luxol fast blue, von Kossa, and immunohistochemistry for CuZn-SOD. Between 5 and 30 min after reperfusion, the appearance of goblets with positive immunoreaction for CuZn-SOD in the intestinal glands and the disappearance of these goblets in the villi were observed in the grafts of animals that received arterial reperfusion after 30 min of clamping of the arteries and veins at room temperature. Thereafter, the former disappeared gradually and the latter returned toward the nonischemic condition. The administration of allopurinol led to a decrease in tissue damage and a significantly higher number of goblets with positive immunoreaction for CuZn-SOD than in untreated animals. Furthermore, the goblets in the intestinal glands showed a negative reaction for CuZn-SOD 5 to 30 min after reperfusion. Preservation at 4 degrees C during ischemia revealed similar results to those observed in the animals given allopurinol. Thus, the distribution and intensity of CuZn-SOD positive goblets seems to be a useful indicator for the evaluation of tissue damage induced by free radicals mediating ischemia-reperfusion injury.