title: An in vivo evaluation of a chondroitin sulfate solution to prevent postoperative intraperitoneal adhesion formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of a single intraperitoneal administration of a chondroitin sulfate solution in preventing postoperative adhesion formation. METHODS. Twenty-five Sprague-Dawley rats had a 1-cm(2) area of cecal serosa abraded. Controls (CON, n = 5) received no treatment, the chondroitin sulfate group (CS, n = 10) received chondroitin sulfate (0.013 g/kg) in 0.9% NaCl intraperitoneally (ip), and vehicle controls (VC, n = 10) received an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl solution ip before the abdomen was closed. All animals were sacrificed on postoperative day 10. The extent of adhesion was quantified according to Mazuji's adhesion grade (0 to 4: 0 = no adhesion and 4 = very dense adhesion) and quantitated after H&E, trichome, and immunohistochemical staining for fibrin and collagen type I and type III using digital image analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Mazuji's adhesion grade in the CON was 4.0 +/- 0.0, in the VC 2.60 +/- 0.37, and in the CS 1.3 +/- 0.42 (P < 0.01 for CS vs CON and P < 0.05 for CS vs VC comparisons). The mean gray-scale intensity (0-255: 0 = dense amount and 255 = none) of adhesion density in the CON was 105. 5 +/- 5.5, in the VC 125 +/- 15.0, and in the CS 178.3 +/- 21.0 (P < 0.01 for CS vs CON and P < 0.05 for CS vs VC comparisons). The mean adjusted intensity stain indices (AISI) for fibrin and collagen type I in the CON were 59 +/- 17 and 53 +/- 19, in the VC 27 +/- 3 and 25 +/- 7, and in the CS 16 +/- 5 and 6 +/- 3, respectively (P < 0.05 between CS and CON comparisons). The AISI of collagen type III was not significant among all the groups (P > 0.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extent of early postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion formation as determined by gross assessment and from quantitation of fibrin and collagen type I deposition was significantly reduced by a single intraperitoneal administration of a chondroitin sulfate solution.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Research, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden, New Jersey 08103, USA.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Chrzanowski
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Puc
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geldziler
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramsamooj
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: DelRossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010532:Peritoneal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012996:Solutions; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates