Quercetin postconditioning attenuates gastrocnemius muscle ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Abstract

Quercetin, an antioxidant derived from plants, can play a beneficial role in the protection of various tissues against ischemia‐reperfusion injuries (IRI). The purpose of the present research was to investigate the protective effects of quercetin on gastrocnemius muscle ischemia‐reperfusion. A total of 80 adult male Wistar rats (weights: 250–300 g) were divided into ten groups (n = 8 per group). We used silk 6.0 surgical thread to create a knit to occlude the femoral artery and vein for 3 hr. The treated groups, which comprised half of each experimental group, received intraperitoneal injections of 150 mg/kg quercetin after the ischemia. Blood flow was subsequently reestablished in the reperfusion phase. The rats were kept in reperfusion for 3, 7, 14, or 28 days after which they were killed with high doses of anesthetic drugs, and the gastrocnemius muscles were removed and fixed. Tissue processing, hematoxylin and eosin and toluidine blue staining, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) levels. A comparison between treated and untreated ischemic sites showed that on the third day of reperfusion, the severity of edema and NF‐κB level decreased significantly; on the 7th day of reperfusion, the severity of edema and the levels of TNF‐α and NF‐κB decreased significantly; and on the 14th day of reperfusion, all of the parameters showed significant decreases. On the 28th day of reperfusion, there were significantly decreased levels of TNF‐α and NF‐κB, and decreased mast cell infiltration when compared with the untreated groups. According to the results, administration of quercetin after ischemia could significantly prevent gastrocnemius muscle IRI.

The Protective Effect of Vasopressin on Sperm Parameters and Histopathology of Testicular and Epididymal Tissue in a Rat Model of Testicular Torsion-Detorsion

“…I/R is defined as a complex condition and as its name implies includes a stage of reduction or cessation of blood flow to the tissue and after a while reestablishment of the blood flow and may affect various organs of the body [26,27]. Restoration of blood flow following the initial phase of ischemia causes a new wave of organ damage [28,29]. Researchers have reported the loss of germ cells and the destruction of the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules after testicular I/R injury [4].…”