Advantages of Magnetic Compression in Rat Colonic Anastomosis: A Comparative Study with a Transcriptomic Perspective
Background: Colorectal anastomosis is a common procedure in colorectal cancer surgery, but traditional suturing is technically demanding and prone to complications. Magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) offers a simpler, minimally invasive alternative with favorable outcomes. This study compares the healing effects of MCA and conventional suturing in rat colonic anastomosis and investigates the molecular mechanisms involved.  Methods: Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-230 g) were randomly divided into an MCA group and a suture (control) group. The survival rates, and histological and transcriptomic profiles of the anastomotic sites were compared. Results: The survival rate of the MCA group (100%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (70%). Histological examination showed improved tissue alignment and more continuous mucosal surfaces in the MCA group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes between the MCA and control groups were highly enriched in immune-inflammatory pathways. PPI network analysis identified IL-1ß as a key molecule, with significantly elevated expression in the MCA group. Results: The survival rate of the MCA group (100%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (70%). Histological examination showed improved tissue alignment and more continuous mucosal surfaces in the MCA group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes between the MCA and control groups were highly enriched in immune-inflammatory pathways. PPI network analysis identified IL-1ß as a key molecule, with significantly elevated expression in the MCA group. Conclusion: MCA is a simple, low-complication method for colonic anastomosis in rats. Transcriptomic analysis suggests that IL-1ß may play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficacy of MCA in promoting anastomotic healing. Overall design: Six colonic anastomotic tissue samples were collected from rats, including three from the magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) group and three from the suture (control) group. After two weeks of healing, tissues at the anastomotic sites were excised, immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80 °C. Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol reagent, and sequencing libraries were prepared with the NEBNext Ultra RNA Library Prep Kit. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed on the DNBSEQ-T7 platform. The aim was to compare gene expression profiles between the MCA and suture groups to explore molecular mechanisms associated with enhanced anastomotic healing.