Plasma cytokine expression after lower-limb compression in rats.

Objectives: Muscle injury due to crushing (muscle compression injury) is associated with systemic manifestations known as crush syndrome. A systemic inflammatory reaction may also be triggered by isolated muscle injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma levels of interleukins (IL) 1, 6 and 10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which are markers for possible systemic inflammatory reactions, after isolated muscle injury resulting from lower-limb compression in rats.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to 1 h of compression of their lower limbs by means of a rubber band. The plasma levels of IL 1, 6 and 10 and TNF-α were measured 1, 2 and 4 h after the rats were released from compression.

Results: The plasma levels of IL 10 decreased in relation to those of the other groups, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). The method used did not detect the presence of IL 1, IL 6 or TNF-α.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the changes in plasma levels of IL 10 that were found may have been a sign of the presence of circulating interleukins in this model of lower-limb compression in rats.