I ran across these articles while looking up biotech experiments. These articles talk about doctors using a perflurocarbon to supply oxygen to patients that suffer from brain injuries such as head trauma and stroke. Since the substance is "oily" it can squeeze through inflammed vessels more easily than blood can and carries much more O2.
Since one of the functions of inflammation is to increase blood flow, do you think supplying all this O2 can curtail some or any of the swelling and the potentially harmful effects of an inflammed brain?? Does the property of increased Oxygen delivery decrease the length of time it takes to bring down swelling, in effect speeding up the healing process? I think this chemical is lacking in anti-inflammatory properties and that O2 delivery just might be the only, yet important, characteristic, would you agree? Comments?
http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1481/1/Synthetic-Blood-Announces-Oxycyte-Development-Strategy/1.html
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/type-artificial-blood-may-be-key-surviving-brain-injury
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Oxygen is primarly used as an electron acceptor in the electron transport chain in the mitochondria (the site for oxidative phosphorylation). Oxygen is essential in that it keeps the cells alive by driving the production of ATP. The body has a maximum carrying capacity for oxygen and is dependent on the amount or RBC and the exchange rate of oxygen and carbon dioxide. From do a brief search at resources online, I haven’t found anything that says oxygen directly reduces inflammation; however, oxygen metabolism in the mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can be damaging to cells and increase inflammation.
Int J Stroke. 2006 Nov;1(4):191-200.
J Physiol Volume 552, Number 2, 335-344, October 15, 2003
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