The effect of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning on the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, NF-κB and flap survival rate during ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat abdominal skin flap

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1),vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1),NF-κB and flap survival rate during Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rat Abdominal Skin Flap. 18 male adult SD rats were divided randomly into sham group (SH),ischemia-reperfusion group (IR) and hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning group (HBO),6 rats in each group. The rats in HBO group received regular hyperbaric oxygen treatment for three days (twice a day with an interval of 12 h) before operation. An abdominal skin flap pedicled with superficial epigastric artery was established. Ischemia lasted for 3 hours in the IR group and HBO group.On the third postoperative day,samples were taken to evaluate the expression of ICAM-1,VCAM-1 and NF-κB by immunohistochemistry staining and Western Blot. In the IR group, the flap survival rate and average blood perfusion were (22.38 ±4.35) ％ and (32.61 ±5.68) PU, while in the HBO group they were (45.34 ±3.15) ％ and (61.78 ±3.61) PU, showing significant difference between the two groups (P ＜0.01).The inflammatory cell infiltration condition in IR group was much higher than that in the HBO group from the HE staining observation. Compared with the HBO group,ICAM-1,VCAM-1 and NF-κB showed (+ + +) with higher positive cells in the IR group (P ＜ 0.01). Results of Western Blot showed similar conclusion. The relative expression of ICAM-1,VCAM-1 and NF-κB was much higher in the IR group than that in the HBO group (P ＜ 0.01). Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning could decrease the expression of ICAM-1,VCAM-1,NF-κB and promote flap survival rate during the process of ischemia-reperfusion injury on a rat abdominal skin flap model.