title: Intraperitoneal administration of the angiogenesis inhibitor thalidomide does not impair anastomotic healing following large bowel resection in a rabbit model.
abstract: The effects of thalidomide after intraperitoneal instillation on the healing of colonic anastomoses are not known. A series of 40 New Zealand White rabbits underwent an end-to-end colonic anastomosis. The animals were randomized into four groups. Groups 1 (n = 10) and 2 (n = 10) were treated with dissolved thalidomide 200 mg/kg intraperitoneally, whereas groups 3 (n = 10) and 4 (n = 10) were treated only with the dissolver. Animals were sacrificed at day 3 (groups 1, 3) and day 7 (groups 2, 4). Anastomotic healing was tested by measuring the bursting pressure in vitro. Immunohistochemical staining of the anastomotic site was performed with polyclonal antibodies against CD31 and Mib-1, to determine a possible antiangiogenic or antiproliferative effect. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's log rank correlation and paired t-test. On postoperative day 3 (p > 0.19) and postoperative day 7 (p > 0.73), there was no difference in bursting pressure in the treatment and the control groups. Angiogenesis scores were reduced at day 3 in the thalidomide group (p < 0.05), but did not differ between the groups at day 7. White blood cell counts were decreased in the treatment groups at day 3 (p < 0.01) and day 7, compared to control groups (p < 0.01). There was no difference in the expression of Mib-1 in either group at day 3 or day 7. The intraperitoneal administration of thalidomide does not interfere with the healing of colonic anastomosis. Although the angiogenesis score is diminished at day 3, this did not lead to a reduced bursting pressure at day 3 or day 7.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Medical Faculty of the Humboldt University, Berlin, Charitè, Campus Mitte, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany. julianmall@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Julian W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.forename: Andreas W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Büttemeyer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pollmann
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000601:surgery*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D023421:Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D013792:Thalidomide