Because of its reducing effect, ascorbic acid , is a strong antioxidant agent and has the ability of reacting with superoxide anion and hydroxyl ion of oxygen-derived free radicals. Carnitine also can increase the oxidation of glucose during the reperfusion phase by performing transportation of long chain fatty acids to the mitochondrial matrix for the beta oxidation. Antioxidant effects of these substances were studied on rabbits at the basis of extremity ischemia / reperfusion ( I/R) model. Following reperfusion biopsies were taken from soleus muscles. All of the biopsy specimens were looked under light microscope from the aspect of histopatologic findings of ischemic injury which were necrosis, loss of striation, centralization, splitting / ring formation, fibrosis and diameter differences, and results were analyzed statisticaly. Data have showed that both sodium ascorbate and carnitine were effective in reducing the reperfusion injury when compared to the placebo group. Differences were insignificant for sodium ascorbate and sinificant for carnitine statisticaly. Compared to each other, carnitine was superior to sodium ascorbate but the difference was significant statisticaly only from the aspect of fibrosis and diameter differences.

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