Oral fluvastatin reduces the severity of peritoneal adhesions in rats.

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of fluvastatin on peritoneal adhesion formation.

METHODS

48 female Wistar-albino rats weighing 200-220 g were divided into four groups each containing 12 rats. Group I was sham, Group II was the control group, while Group III was given 10 mg/kg/day (28 days) oral fluvastatin. In Group IV, 10 mg/kg fluvastatin was administered intraperitoneally at the time of laparotomy but the rats died from that dose. After laparotomy on day 14, caecal serosal abrasions and punctuate haemorrhagies were performed. On day 28, laparotomies were repeated. Adhesions were graded and tissue samples were taken from incisions and adhesions. Hydroxyproline contents representing adhesions were measured quantitatively. On the 28th day, blood samples were taken to measure the tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between the groups for adhesion severity (p < 0.0001), hydroxyproline content and t-PA activity of the adhesions (p < 0.0001). Analysis of the grading of adhesions documented significant differences between all groups. When the hydroxyproline content and t-PA activity of the adhesions was analyzed, there were significant differences between groups II, I and III, but the difference between group I and group III was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The data presented in this study demonstrate that the oral administration of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin reduced intra-abdominal adhesion formation.