oxidant activity of nitro derivative of aspirin against ischemia-reperfusion in hamster cheek pouch microcirculation. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 286: G437-G443, 2004. First published October 16, 2003 10.1152/ajpgi.00339.2003.-Aspirin that has been chemically combined with a nitric oxide (NO) donor (NCX-4016) has been shown to inhibit cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin generation while maintaining the inhibitory effects of aspirin. The possible role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the action of NCX-4016 in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) has not been studied. Furthermore, we were interested in comparing the effects of a conventional NO donor [2,2Ј-hydroxynitrosohydrazino-bis-etanamine (DETA/NO)] and NCX-4016 at the microvascular level in the hamster cheek pouch visualized by using an intravital fluorescent microscopy technique. Microvascular injury was assessed by measuring diameter change, the perfused capillary length (PCL), and leukocyte adhesion. Animals were treated with NCX-4016 (100 mg/kg or 30 mg⅐kg Ϫ1 ⅐day Ϫ1 for 5 days po) or DETA-NO (0.5 mg/kg). Mean arterial blood pressure increased slightly but significantly after NCX-4016 treatment. During 5-and 15-min reperfusion, lipid peroxides in the systemic blood increased by 72 and 89% vs. baseline, respectively, and were still higher than in basal conditions after 30-min reperfusion in the I/R group. Pretreatment with NCX-4016 maintained ROS at normal levels; increased arteriolar diameter, blood flow, and PCL; and decreased leukocyte adhesion (P Ͻ 0.05). DETA-NO decreased ROS during 30-min reperfusion; however, later there was a significant increase during reperfusion. DETA-NO decreased leukocyte adhesion (P Ͻ 0.05) but microvascular permeability increased after 30 min of reperfusion. In conclusion, NCX-4016 attenuates oxidative stress and prevents arteriolar constriction during I/R, whereas DETA-NO increases lipid peroxides in the systemic blood and permeability after reperfusion. oxidative stress; nitric oxide-aspirin; microcirculation; lipid peroxides RECENTLY, A NEW CLASS of anti-inflammatory drugs has been developed by adding nitric oxide (NO) moiety to aspirin . NO released from these compounds has been shown to suppress prostanoid synthesis and to inhibit pathogenetic events during endotoxic shock (22,27,38,39). NCX-4016 has a more pronounced anti-thrombotic activity than aspirin (25, 37) as shown by the fact that it protected mice from pulmonary embolism, whereas in rabbits it reduced platelet accumulation induced by thrombin in the pulmonary vasculature (22, 32). NCX-4016 reduced infarct size and suppressed arrhythmias after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in pigs (38) and rats (40). NCX-4016, but not aspirin alone, was found to reduce brain damage induced by focal cerebral ischemia in spontaneously hypertensive rats (11).On restoration of blood flow during I/R, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases and is strongly implicated in microvascular dysfunction in experimental conditions, as well as in patients with acu...