Effect of propentofylline on free radical generation during cerebral hypoxia in the newborn piglet

The present study tests the hypothesis that propentofylline, an adenosine re-uptake inhibitor, will reduce free radical generation during cerebral hypoxia. Ten newborn piglets were pretreated with propentofylline (10 mg/kg), five of which were subjected to hypoxia, while the other five were maintained at normoxia. Five untreated control piglets underwent the same conditions. Hypoxia was induced through a decrease in FiO2 to 0.11 and documented biochemically by a decrease in ATP and phosphocreatine levels. Free radical formation in the cortex was detected directly using electron spin resonance spectroscopy with a spin trap technique. Results demonstrate that free radicals, corresponding to the alkoxyl radical, increased significantly following hypoxia, and that this increase was inhibited by pretreatment with propentofylline. Conjugated dienes, a lipid peroxidation product, also increased following hypoxia and were subsequently inhibited by propentofylline. The administration of propentofylline also significantly limited the hypoxia-induced decrease in tissue levels of ATP and phosphocreatine. These data demonstrate that pretreatment with propentofylline decreased free radical generation and lipid peroxidation as well as preserved high energy phosphates during cerebral hypoxia.