title: Nicotine on rat TRAM flap.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap is one of the preferential techniques used in breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Nicotine has a detrimental effect on cutaneous flap survival; although there are no experimental studies proving this effect on musculocutaneous flaps. The aim of this study is to verify the effect of nicotine on the rat TRAM flap.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 Wistar EPM-1 rats were randomly distributed in two groups: control and experimental. The animals of the control group received saline solution injected subcutaneously, in a volume of 0.2 ml, twice a day, during 28 days in the preoperative period. The animals of the experimental group were treated with nicotine, injected subcutaneously, in a dose of 2 mg/kg twice a day, during 28 days in the preoperative period. All the animals were submitted to the caudally based, right unipedicled TRAM flap. 48 hours after the procedure, a study of the viable area of the flap was done through photographic documentation. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric Mann-Whitney's test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group had significantly greater area of necrosis when compared with the control group (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nicotine increased the area of necrosis of the TRAM flap, in rats.
authors.affiliation: Plastic Surgery Unit, Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Bins
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Ely
authors.forename: Ludmila Aimi
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: José Humberto Oliveira
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Heitor Carvalho
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Yara
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000637:transplantation*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine