Effect of Melatonin on Erythrocyte Deformability in Mice With Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Skeletal Muscle

Author(s): Hakan Kartal, Faruk Metin Comu

Aim: Erythrocyte deformability is the deformation movement that erythrocytes perform while passing through the capillary vessel in the microvascular area. Erythrocyte deformability is vital in microvascular circulation. The aim of this study was to investigate how melatonin affects the ability of erythrocytes to deform in mice who underwent ischemia-reperfusion in the lower limb.

Materials and methods: In the study, 30 male Swiss breed albino mice weighing 45-65 g were used. Mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, (Control group (C), melatonin control group (M), Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) group, ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group, melatonin - IR group (M+IR)), 6 being in each group. All groups were administered 100 IU/kg intravenous heparin bolus 30 minutes before the procedure. Lower limb ischemia (2 hours) and reperfusion (2 hours) protocols were applied to the IR and M+IR groups by clamping the main femoral artery. Melatonin was administered to M and M+IR groups 1 hour before the experimental procedure (10mg / kg intraperitoneal). After the experiment protocol mice were sacrificed by the intracardiac blood collection method. From the blood samples taken, erythrocytes were extracted from heparinized whole blood samples. Erythrocytes were passed through the filtration system and pressure changes were measured to investigate the erythrocyte deformation index.

Results: Control group, melatonin group, and DMSO group's deformability levels are observed to be at levels lower than or similar to melatonin group + IR and ischemia-reperfusion group. In addition, melatonin group + IR was found to be at a lower level than ischemia-reperfusion group in terms of deformability.

Conclusion: Unless there is an event having adverse effects on erythrocytes, melatonin has no effect on the deformability index. However, it is observed that mel