title: Comparative study for preventive effects of intra-abdominal adhesion using cyclo-oxygenase-2 enzyme (COX-2) inhibitor, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and synthetic barrier.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative adhesion is the most frequent complication of abdominal surgery. Therefore, we investigated the individual effects of synthetic barrier [hyaluronic acid/carboxymethylcellulose (HA/CMC)] and pharmacologic agents [low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor (COX-2 inhibitor)] using animal model of intra-abdominal adhesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cecum was rubbed with sterile alcohol wet gauze until subserosal haemorrhage and punctate bleeding developed under the general anesthesia. Five animal groups were prepared using the film HA/CMC, gel HA/CMC, LMWH and COX-2 inhibitor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The grade of adhesion by modified Leach method for group I (control), II (film type HA/CMC), III (gel type HA/CMC), IV (LMWH) and V (COX-2 inhibitor) were 5.35±1.8, 6.15±1.3, 4.23±2.6, 5.05±0.7 and 5.50±0.9, respectively. Group III showed the least grade of adhesion and it is statistically significant in adhesion formation (p=0.028). The numbers of lymphocytes were significantly low in group III and group V compared to the control group (lymphocyte: p=0.004). The mast cell counts were generally low except for the control group (I: 1.05, II: 0.35, III: 0.38, IV: 0.20, V: 0.37), however, it was not statistically significant (p=0.066).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The gel barriers were shown to be partly efficient in inhibiting the formation of postoperative adhesions and might provide an option for abdominal surgery to reduce postoperative adhesions. The LMWH and COX-2 inhibitor had been known for their inhibitor effect of fibrin formation and anti-angiogenic/ anti-fibroblastic activity, respectively. However, their preventive effects of adhesion and fibrosis were found to be obscure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, 1071 Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-710, Korea. kimyi@ewha.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium
keywords: Adhesion prevention; cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor; hyaluronic acid/carboxymethylcellulose; low molecular weight heparin