مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - The efficiency of methylene blue against postoperative adhesions: An experimental study

Abstract :

Aim. Post-operative adhesions are a major cause of intestinal obstructions. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of methylene blue on preventing post-operative adhesions. Methods. Forty mature rats were used. They were randomly divided into four groups of 10 rats. In group I, 0.5 cm area at the front side of the caeceum was traumatized using a No: 15 lancet, in group II the front side of the caeceum was cut through for 1 cm by lancet and closed. In both groups 2 ml of saline was added into the abdomen. In group III 0.5cm area at the front side of the caeceum was traumatized using a No: 15 lancet, in group IV the front side of the caeceum was cut through for 1 cm by lancet and closed. In both groups 2 mL of 1% methylene blue was added into the abdomen. On the postoperative 14th day biopsy was taken for histopathological examination; at which degrees of fibrosis, neovascularization and inflammation were evaluated. Results. By means of fibrosis; the second and fourth groups found to be completely positive while eighty percent of the first group was negative. By means of inflammatory response, twenty-five of the patients were negative while seventy-five percent of them were positive. All of the patients in the second group were positive. By means of neovascularization; thirty-five percent of all patients were negative while sixty-five of them were positive. While at least one patient from each group was negative; seventy percent of the patients in the first group being the largest number of patients when compared with the other groups were negative. By means of mesothelial cell proliferation; 27.5 percent of the patients was negative while 62.5 percent of the patients was positive. The negativity ratio of group 1 was 80%, while it was 90% for group 3 and it was positive for all of the patients in group 4. Conclusion. We found that methylene blue does not decrease fibrosis, neovascularization and inflammation but it was found to decrease mesothelial cell proliferation. These findings suggest that methylene blue can decrease post-operative adhesions by decreasing mesothelial cell proliferation.