title: Influence of growth factors erythropoietin and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor on mechanical strength and healing of colonic anastomoses in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out what influence erythropoietin and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) had on the healing of left colonic anastomoses in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital of Ioannina, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  An end to end anastomosis was created in the left colon. The rats in the experimental groups were treated with erythropoietin, or GM-CSF, or the two in combination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tensile breaking strength of the anastomosis, histological characteristics of the anastomosed segment, changes in body weight, and packed cell volume (PCV) during the experiment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tensile breaking strength of the anastomosis on the seventh postoperative day was significantly greater in the erythropoietin group (mean 2.8N, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12N, p 0.0004) than in the control group (mean 1.60N, 95% CI 0.12N). It did not differ from the GM-CSF groups (mean 1.67N, 95% CI 0.21N, p 0.68) or erythropoietin GM-CSF (mean 1.67N, 95% CI 0.11N, p 0.44). The PCV was significantly higher in the two groups given erythropoietin (p < 0.001) but not in the GM-CSF group (p 0.8) while that in the control group was significantly lower (p < 0.001). The body weight followed the same pattern, being significantly more in the two groups given erythropoietin (p = 0.03 and 0.003) but not in controls (p = 0.09) or the GM-CSF group (p = 0.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Erythropoietin enhances the healing of anastomosis in rat colon by increasing the number of fibroblasts and accelerating the maturation of new vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fatouros
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vekinis
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bourantas
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Mylonakis
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Scopelitou
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Malamou-Mitsis
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kappas
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000502:physiology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor