title: The effects of dexamethasone on lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels on the healing of tracheal anastomoses: an experimental study in rats.
abstract: Corticosteroids are shown to have deleterious effects on wound healing for various tissues. Arginine metabolism and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis play an important role in many aspects of inflammation and wound healing. The study was designed to evaluate the relationship of dexamethasone impaired healing of tracheal anastomoses to NO metabolism and lipid peroxidation. Forty-two adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. The animals underwent tracheal transection and primary anastomoses. The groups were assigned as follows: Group I (GI) (sham, N = 6); Group II (GII) (control, N = 6); Group III (GIII), dexamethasone, 0.1 mg kg(-1) per day, intramuscularly for a week (N = 10); Group IV (GIV), dexamethasone, 1 mg kg(-1) per day, intramuscularly for a week (N = 10); Group V (GV), dexamethasone, 6 mg kg(-1) intramuscularly as a single dose (N = 10). After 7 days, bursting pressure was used to evaluate anastomotic healing. Serum nitrite/nitrate and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured as an index of NO synthesis and lipid peroxidation, respectively. The bursting pressure significantly decreased in GIII and GIV when compared to the control group. The difference between GIII and GIV was also statistically significant. Nitrite/nitrate and MDA levels of GIII were found to be significantly higher than the control group. Also, the difference was found to be statistically significant between GIII and GIV in regard to nitrite/nitrate levels. The present study demonstrates that daily administration of dexamethasone for a week inhibits NO synthesis in a dose-dependent manner on tracheal anastomotic healing. Besides the generally accepted evaluation parameters including bursting pressure and hydoxyproline content; NO and MDA levels may be helpful in the assessment of wound healing especially for the investigation of impairment mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Mersin University Medical Faculty, Mersin, Turkey. deryatalas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Derya U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Talas
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nayci
authors.forename: Gurbuz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atis
authors.forename: Ulku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Comelekoglu
authors.forename: Ozlen Tubay
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Bagdatoglu
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bagdatoglu
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D003907:Dexamethasone