title: Effects of chitosan on healing and strength of colonic anastomosis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether chitosan application over colonic anastomosis line, provide reinforcement, and subsequently improve anastomotic healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty eight Wistar albino female rats were used and were randomly divided into four groups, 12 rats in each: The control groups (1 and 3) received no further treatment. The experimental groups (2 and 4) received chitosan application over the colonic anastomosis. After sacrifying rats at the end of the experiment (either on day three or on day seven, depending on the group), colonic bursting pressure, a hihydroxyproline level and histopathologic characteristics of the perianastomotic tissue were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At three days, chitosan and control groups had similar values for histopathologically. On day seven, chitosan group had significantly higher mean score of collagenization (p=0.007) and a significantly higher bursting pressure (p=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study emphasizes the positive effect of chitosan in the process of collagenation in colonic anastomosis healing.
authors.affiliation: Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Department, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Citgez
authors.forename: Ahmet Nurettin
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cengiz
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akgun
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uludag
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yetkin
authors.forename: Neslihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahat
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozcan
authors.forename: Nedim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akcakaya
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karatepe
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013718:Tensile Strength; D013997:Time Factors; D000267:Tissue Adhesions; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006490:Hemostatics; D003094:Collagen; D048271:Chitosan