ABSTRACT
Seven patients submitted to myocardial revascularization surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were studied. Blood samples were obtained immediately before and 24 h after surgery. The parameters studied were the production of platelet activating factor (PAF-acether) and superoxide anion, cellular beta-glucuronidase activity as well as polymorphonuclear cell(PMN) and platelet count. Twenty-four h after surgery, there was a 54% decrease in platelet number (P<0.005), a 121% increase in PMN number (P<0.005), a 353% increase in PAF-acether (P<0.01), a 211% increase in superoxide anion (O2-) and a 104% increase in beta-glucuronidase (P<0.05) levels when compared with the pre-surgery levels. The present results indicate that PMN are more reactive after surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass