title: Histological modification in TRAM flap in rats treated with pentoxifylline.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the blood vessels' concentration in TRAM flap's rat model, in the presence of pentoxifylline.
  
  
  METHODS
  32 male, Wistar-EPM rats were divided into two groups. Control group (C): 0.5 ml of saline, intraperitoneally, once a day, for seven days before flap elevation; PTX group (P): pentoxifylline (20mg/kg/day), intraperitoneally, for seven days before flap elevation. After that, they were submitted to a caudal unipedicle TRAM flap. On the fifth postoperative day, percentages of flap necrosis were determined via the "paper template" method and Tram flap's zone IV skin biopsies were taken for histological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the mean percentage of flap necrosis in group C was 58.7 % and in group P, 31.1 (Wilcoxon test; p = 0.003). Mean capillary vessels number in zone IV's skin in C group was 33.4 and in P group was 71.9 (p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pentoxifylline was effective reducing the necrosis in the caudal unipedicle TRAM flap in the rat as well as increasing the number of capillaries in an ischemic zone (zone IV).
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, UNIFESP.
authors.forename: Audrien Furlan de
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Lucca
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, UNIFESP.
authors.forename: Adriano Guimarães
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Brasolin
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, UNIFESP.
authors.forename: Roney Gonçalves Fechine
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, UNIFESP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milvia Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Simões e Silva Enokihara
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, UNIFESP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heitor Francisco de Carvalho
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009336:Necrosis; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D014022:Tissue Survival / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D010431:Pentoxifylline