ABSTRACT
Ischemia is a term formed from the Greek “isch,” meaning restriction, and “hema,” meaning blood, and is translated as a relative or absolute reduction in the blood supply to an organ. Its impact on the parenchyma depends on its intensity, its duration, the type of cell, and its metabolic needs. In the cell, oxygen is necessary for ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation. ATP is used for many processes such as active transport, muscle contraction, thermoregulation, and synthesis. Within a few seconds after the interruption of blood ©ow, the cell consumes the oxygen contained in the oxyhemoglobin or myoglobin and adapts its metabolism (Kloner and Jennings 2001).
