THE USE OF AN NADPH-OXIDASE INHIBITOR IN THE TREATMENT OF REPERFUSION INJURY
The present invention is directed to a method for the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of reperfusion injury or injury due to a distal reperfusion. The method involves the administration of an NADPH-oxidase inhibitor to a cell, tissue, organ or animal in an amount sufficient to treat the cell, tissue, organ or animal for reperfusion injury prophylactically or therapeutically. The NADPH-oxidase inhibitor preferably is an o-methoxycatechol, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, derivative, dimer or prodrug thereof. Most preferably, the o-methoxycatechol is apocynin.