title: Is peritoneal reflection the best anatomical repair landmark in experimental colorectal surgery on rats?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate Peyer's patch as an anatomical repair landmark for colorectal surgery in rats and to measure the collagen content in segments of the colon containing or not containing Peyer's patch.
  
  
  METHODS
  The distance between Peyer's patch and the peritoneal reflection was measured in forty-five Wistar rats. The colon and rectum were resected for quantification of collagen content by means of computer-assisted image analysis in regions of the colon with and without Peyer's patch.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was great variation in the distance between Peyer's patch and the peritoneal reflection when the male and female rats were considered as a single group (p=0.04). Comparison between the genders showed that the distance between the patch and the peritoneal reflection was greater in female than in male rats (p=0.001). The colonic segment containing Peyer's patch was observed to have lower tissue collagen content than the segment in which this structure was not present (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peyer's patch can be indicated as an anatomical repair landmark, and there is a need to study the healing of colorectal anastomoses in rats based on differing quantities of tissue collagen existing in the colonic wall with or without this structure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Technique, Medicine School, Sao Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, Rua São Vicente 614, Atibaia, SP, Brazil. depriolli@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Denise Gonçalves
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Priolli
authors.forename: Pamela Lícia Eiras da
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Adriane Moro
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Betini
authors.forename: José Aires
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Nelson Fontana
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Margarido
authors.forename: Carlos Augusto Real
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D003106:Colon / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012007:Rectum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen