Maintenance of Tissue Metabolism for at Least 3 Hours between 20-28oC with an Asanguinous Fluid

The problem to be studied is to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with major battlefield wounds and injuries by developing a novel asanguinous, synthetic resuscitation fluid (red blood cell replacement) that can function as a therapeutic oxygen carrier and provide nutrients for the treatment of hemorrhage. Uncontrolled hemorrhage is a significant military and civilian problem. More than half of the US military who die in action do so because of blood loss sustained from a gunshot wound or improvised explosive device. Thus, the importance of a readily available resuscitation fluid during the first hour ("the golden hour") of hemorrhage is critical in saving our soldiers by extending survivability of the traumatically injured until definitive care can be provided. Hemorrhagic shock will be induced and studied in awake rats at RT; resuscitated with Lifor or a control solution; and closely monitored until death or reestablishment of pre-hemorrhage mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). Surviving rats at three days will be euthanized. The two study endpoints, time of death and time to reestablish MAP will be indicative of Lifor"s potential as an asanguinous resuscitation fluid for military use.