Experimental study on the role of mast cells in peritoneal adhesion formation.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential role of mast cell stabilisation in the prevention of post-operative adhesions.

DESIGN

Laboratory animal experiment.

SETTING

University hospital, Turkey.

SUBJECTS: Ninety Wistar albino rats.

INTERVENTION: Under anaesthesia, a lower midline laparotomy was performed, the caecum exposed and grasped until haemorrhage occurred. The rats were divided into three groups. Group 1, 2 and 3 were intra-peritoneally administered 1 ml of saline, disodium cromoglycate 5 mg/kg in 1 ml of saline and 10 mg/kg in 1 ml of saline, respectively thirty minutes prior to laparotomy and immediately subsequent to abdominal closure. They were later sacrificed, laparotomy repeated and the presence and extent of intraabdominal adhesions evaluated.

RESULTS

Adhesion scores were best in the high disodium cromoglycate dose group of rats (p < 0.05) and the number of degranulated mast cells was significantly low in this group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Disodium cromoglycate may be an effective agent for attenuating adhesion formation when administered in suitable doses.