Background: The aim of the study was to assess complementary induction of remote organ injury following bowel ischaemia- reperfusion by eicosanoids and xanthine oxidase.
Material/Methods: Randomized, controlled, animal study. Hospital-based animal research facility. Materials: 40 rats in 5 groups. Sham laparotomy, laparotomy and superior mesenteric artery occlusion (ischaemia 1h) and reperfusion (3h), or laparotomy and arterial occlusion and reperfusion in rats treated with thromboxane synthase inhibitor OKY-046, leukotrienes synthase inhibitor diethylcarbamazine or xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol. Bowel, liver and lung wet: dry weight ratio, tissue: circulation albumin I125, permeability index, polymorphonuclear neutrophils tissue counts.
Results: Ischaemia intestinal and lungs wet: dry ratios increased by 50%; over sham or treatment groups; liver ratios were similar. Albumin indexes in ischaemia organs were 1.5-3 times more than shams and treatment values, and allopurinol normalized it best. Neutrophils counts in all ischaemia organs were double that of shams; allopurinol prevented sequestration completely, eicosanoids inhibitors did so partially.
Conclusions: Xanthine oxidase initiated remote organ injury following bowel ischaemia-reperfusion. Allopurinol prevented it entirely while eicosanoids inhibitors only partially.

Keywords: ischaemia-reperfusion, bowel, remote organ injury, thromboxane, leukotriene, Xanthine Oxidase, oxygen free radicals