title: Effect of a composite membrane of chitosan and poloxamer gel on postoperative adhesive interactions.
abstract: Excessive postoperative adhesion formation is a major result of surgery. The adhesion reduction effects of a chitosan membrane and poloxamer gel barrier were measured in a rat peritoneal model. Forty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (control, poloxamer, chitosan, and poloxamer+chitosan sandwich). Two cm2 of cecal serosa and the adjacent abdominal wall were abraded. The denuded cecum was covered with either a chitosan membrane, a poloxamer gel, chitosan in a sandwich configuration with poloxamer on both sides, or neither (control group) and apposed to the abdominal wall. Fourteen days after surgery adhesions were graded using a whole-number scoring system of zero to five. Adhesion strength was determined using a whole-number system of one to four. Adhesion area was measured on a continuous scale of adhesion severity. Adhesion grades were highest in the control group (5.00 +/- 0.00) and were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the poloxamer group (3.50 +/- 1.35), the chitosan group (1.64 +/- 1.63), and the poloxamer+chitosan group (1.18 +/- 1.25). The two chitosan-containing groups also had significantly (P < 0.05) reduced adhesion grades in comparison with the poloxamer group. Adhesion area in both chitosan-containing groups was reduced in comparison with control and adhesion strength was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) in all groups compared with control. The poloxamer+chitosan group had significantly (P < 0.05) reduced adhesion strength versus poloxamer only. There was a significant (P < 0.05) linear correlation (r = 0.931, P < 0.001) between adhesion grade and adhesion strength. We conclude that chitosan and the combination of poloxamer+chitosan were shown to effectively reduce adhesion area, grade, and strength.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vlahos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ledgerwood
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000269:Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D048271:Chitosan; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D020442:Poloxamer / Q000737:chemistry*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives; D005782:Gels; D020442:Poloxamer; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan