Judge, A. R., and S. L. Dodd. Xanthine oxidase and activated neutrophils cause oxidative damage to skeletal muscle after contractile claudication. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 286: H252-H256, 2004. First published September 11, 2003 10.1152/ajpheart.00684. 2003.-We previously showed oxidative damage and edema within skeletal muscle after contractile claudication. To investigate the sources of this oxidative damage in the gastrocnemius muscle, we administered allopurinol (Allo, to inhibit xanthine oxidase) and cyclophosphamide (Cyclo, to deplete neutrophils) before inducing contractile claudication in male Sprague Dawley rats. Contractile claudication (ligated stimulated, LS) caused a significant increase in xanthine oxidase activity [sham ligated stimulated (SS) ϭ 2.57 Ϯ 0.07; LS ϭ 3.22 Ϯ 0.07] and neutrophil infiltration (SS ϭ 0.47 Ϯ 0.03; LS ϭ 0.91 Ϯ 0.10) compared with controls (SS), and this was associated with increased lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, muscle damage, and edema. Pretreatment with Allo attenuated the increase in xanthine oxidase activity and attenuated lipid hydroperoxides (control LS ϭ 12.85 Ϯ 0.50; Allo LS ϭ 9.96 Ϯ 0.71), muscle damage, and neutrophil infiltration (control LS ϭ 0.91 Ϯ 0.10; Allo LS ϭ 0.61 Ϯ 0.07). This latter finding suggests that xanthine oxidasederived oxidants are chemotactic to neutrophils. Pretreatment with Cyclo reduced neutrophil infiltration (control LS ϭ 0.91 Ϯ 0.10; Cyclo LS ϭ 0.55 Ϯ 0.02) and attenuated lipid peroxidation (control LS ϭ 12.85 Ϯ 0.50; Cyclo LS ϭ 6.462 Ϯ 0.62), protein oxidation (control LS ϭ 2.59 Ϯ 0.47; Cyclo LS ϭ 1.77 Ϯ 0.60), muscle damage, and edema. Together, these data indicate that contractile claudication causes an increase in xanthine oxidase activity and neutrophils in muscle and that inhibition of these oxidant sources protects against oxidative stress, muscle damage, and edema. occlusion; free radicals; reactive oxygen species; muscle contraction SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) caused by exercise claudication elevates markers of oxidative damage in the plasma. Hickman et al. (16) exercised claudicant patients for 10 min and found an increase in plasma malondialdehyde levels after exercise, whereas Silvestro et al. (32) showed an increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, as a marker of lipid peroxidation, after maximal, but not submaximal, exercise in claudicants.Likewise, markers of oxidative damage are also elevated in skeletal muscle after claudication. We recently found (21) an increase in protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation and a reduction in total glutathione levels 1 h after exercise with an animal model of claudication. This was associated with an increase in xanthine oxidase activity and neutrophils-both sources of oxidizing species.To further explore these findings and determine the relative contributions of each pathway, we chose to 1) inhibit xanthine oxidase activity and 2) deplete neutrophils and then measure markers of oxidative damage. Thus the purpose of this study wa...