Xanthine oxidase may contribute to oxygen free radical formation during reoxygenation after hypoxia, but in humans the enzyme is present in substantial amounts only in the liver and intestine. We developed a sensitive assay for xanthine oxidase using 14C-xanthine as substrate and investigated whether xanthine oxidase was released into the systemic circulation when 19 newborn pigs were resuscitated after severe hypoxemia. In five piglets plasma xanthine oxidase concentrations increased from undetectable levels to a median value of 8 (range 4-18) microU/ml after 30 min of reoxygenation. In these pigs serum aspartate aminotransferase increased from 45 to 148 U/l, while alanine aminotransferase was unchanged (28-31 U/l). The release of xanthine oxidase did not seem to correlate with the severity of the histological brain damage after 4 days. We conclude that only low levels of xanthine oxidase are released to the systemic circulation after severe hypoxemia in newborn pigs.