Effect of moderate hypothermia on lipid peroxidation in canine brain tissue after cardiac arrest and resuscitation.

We sought to examine the effect of moderate hypothermia (30 degrees C to 32 degrees C) initiated after resuscitation on the scavenging systems of free radicals and lipid peroxidation in canine brain tissue after cardiac arrest and resuscitation.Twenty-one dogs were divided into four groups: group A, nonischemic controls (shams) (n = 4); group B, 15-minute cardiac arrest without reperfusion (n = 4); group C, 15-minute cardiac arrest and standard resuscitation (n = 6); and group D, 15-minute cardiac arrest and hypothermic resuscitation (n = 7). During the period of 10 to 120 minutes after resuscitation, brain temperature and core temperature in group D remained at 30 degrees C to 32 degrees C and were 4 degrees C to 5 degrees C lower than in group C. For each dog, a sample of right parietal cerebral cortex was obtained from group A, group B, or from group C and group D at 2 hours after resuscitation. The sample was assayed for tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), the content of reduced glutathione (GSH), and the a...