Transplacental effects of allopurinol on suppression of oxygen free radical production in chronically instrumented fetal lamb brains during intermittent umbilical cord occlusion.

Objective: To evaluate the transplacental effect of allopurinol, which acts as a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and free radical scavenger, on inhibiting the production of superoxides during intermittent partial umbilical cord occlusion.

Methods: Using four chronically instrumented fetal lambs, ewes received 400 mg allopurinol over a period of two hours. Concentrations of allopurinol and oxypurinol in blood samples from mothers and fetuses and fetal brain microdialysis perfusate were measured by HPLC.