The Open Surgery Journal

2007, 1 : 1-6
Published online 2007 November 9. DOI: 10.2174/1874300500701010001
Publisher ID: TOSJ-1-1

The Effects of Irinotecan on the Healing of Colonic Anastomoses in Rats

Manousos-Georgios Pramateftakis , Dimitrios Kanellos , Ioannis Kanellos , Haralampos Demetriades , Ioannis Mantzoros , Emmanouil Zacharakis , Kalliopi Despoudi , Stamatios Angelopoulos , Georgios Koliakos , Thomas Zaraboukas and Dimitrios Betsis
Antheon 1, Panorama 55236, Thessaloniki, Greece.

ABSTRACT

Aim:

The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of intraperitoneally injected irinotecan on the healing of colonic anastomoses after colon resection.

Methods:

Thirty male Wistar rats were used. The rats were randomized into two groups of 15 rats each. Immediately after colonic anastomoses were performed, the rats were injected intraperitoneally with either 3 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution or irinotecan (3 mg/kg body weight) depending on their group. All rats were sacrificed on the eighth postoperative day. The anastomoses were examined macroscopically and histologically. The anastomotic bursting pressures were recorded.

Results:

Anastomotic dehiscence was noted in 3 rats of the irinotecan group. All anastomoses of the control group remained intact until sacrifice. The adhesion formation at the anastomotic sites and the average inflammatory cell infiltration scores were significantly higher in the irinotecan group compared to the control group. The bursting pressures, the hydroxyproline tissue content, the fibroblast activity and the collagen deposition were significantly lower in the irinotecan group. Neoangiogenesis did not differ significantly between the groups.

Conclusion:

Irinotecan, when injected intraperitoneally, affects the healing of colonic anastomoses in rats.

Keywords:

Irinotecan, colonic anastomosis, healing.