Is peritoneal reflection the best anatomical repair landmark in experimental colorectal surgery on rats?
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.
Priolli
Denise Gonçalves
DG
Division of Surgical Technique, Medicine School, Sao Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, Rua São Vicente 614, Atibaia, SP, Brazil. depriolli@terra.com.br
Silva
Pamela Lícia Eiras da
PL
Betini
Adriane Moro
AM
Pereira
José Aires
JA
Margarido
Nelson Fontana
NF
Martinez
Carlos Augusto Real
CA
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
D003094:Collagen