Background: Although, myocardial reperfusion is a pre-requisite to salvaging viable myocardium, the process of restoring coronary blood flow can paradoxically induce myocardial injury and cardiomyocyte death. A number of new therapeutic strategies are currently under investigation for preventing myocardial reperfusion injury and to improve clinical outcomes. Aim of the work: This study was performed to assess the potential benefit of pentoxifylline in the reduction of myocardial injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion . 
Material and Methods: In this study, 30 adult male albino rats were divided into 3 groups; control group, group II: subjected to ischemia (temporary occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 minutes) followed by reperfusion (for 120 minutes), and group III: single dose of pentoxifylline (40 mg/kg/bw) was injected intraperitoneal, 15 minutes before induction of ischemia/reperfusion. Samples from left ventricle from all animals were excised immediately, at the end of experimental time, and processed for examination by light and transmission electron microscopes. Also, immunohistochemical examination using caspase 3 and Anti TNF-α antibodies was performed.
Results: Histological assessment revealed that the pretreatment with pentoxphilline protected the myocardium against ischemic/reperfusion induced injury; as demonstrated by improvement of histological structure of cardiac myocytes, minimal edema, hemorrage and fibrosis. No cellular inflammatory infiltration. Also, marked reduction of cardiomyocyte necrosis, indicating strong anti- apoptotic effect of pentoxphilline, and weak expression of TNF-α , indicating strong anti-inflammatory effect of pentoxphilline.