title: Effects of β-glucan on colon anastomotic healing in rats given preoperative irradiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiation therapy is an essential therapeutic modality in the management of a wide variety of tumors. We aimed to investigate the short-term effects of pelvic irradiation on the healing of colon anastomoses and to determine the potential protective effects of β-glucan in this situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Wistar albino rats were randomized into three experimental groups: a control group (n = 20), an irradiation (IR) group (n = 20), and an irradiation+β-glucan (IR+β-glucan) group (n = 20). Only segmental colonic resection and anastomosis were performed on the control group. The IR group underwent the same surgical procedure as the control group 5 days after pelvic irradiation. In the IR+β-glucan group, the same procedure was applied as in the IR group after β-glucan administration. The groups were subdivided into subgroups according to the date of euthanasia (third [n = 10] or seventh [n = 10] postoperative [PO] day), and anastomotic colonic segments were resected to evaluate bursting pressures and biochemical and histopathological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bursting pressure values were significantly lower in the IR group (p < .001). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in the IR group, whereas β-glucan significantly decreased MDA levels on the third PO day (p < .001). Granulation tissue formation scores were significantly lower in the IR+β-glucan group compared with the control group and the IR group (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that irradiation has negative effects on the early healing of colon anastomoses. The administration of β-glucan ameliorates these unfavorable effects by altering bursting pressures and biochemical parameters.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University , Sanlıurfa , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seker
authors.forename: Kamuran Cumhur
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Deger
authors.forename: Erdal Birol
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Bostanci
authors.forename: Ilter
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Tahsin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dalgic
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilgihan
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akmansu
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ekinci
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ercin
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akoglu
mesh_terms: D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products / Q000378:metabolism; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products; D047071:beta-Glucans; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006909:Hydroxyproline