A morphometric study of the intestinal mucosa of rats submitted to omentoenteropexy.

CONTEXT

The omentoenteropexy technique was developed as an alternative method for intestinal neovascularization, due to the angiogenic properties of factors from the omentum.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated changes in intestinal villi heights and crypts depths due to surgical techniques: seromiotomy with and without omentoenteropexy.

METHOD

Thirty rats were operated on, after being divided into three groups, namely GI, GII and GIII with 10 rats each. In the GI rats were submitted to omentoenteropexy; rats in GII were submitted only to a seromiotomy, and in the GIII only laparotomy. Sixty days after the first surgery, the animals were sacrificed and a segment of intestine was removed for histology using Masson's trichrome technique and morphometric study of intestinal mucosa.

RESULTS

The histological findings showed that seromiotomy with or without omentoenteropexy increased the length of intestinal villi when compared with GIII (only laparotomy) (analysis of variance: P = 0.0068; GI 38.88 ± 4.17; GII 39.41± 6.33; GIII 31.85 ± 5.56; GI = GII P>0.05; GII>GIII P<0.05; GI>GIII P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

No differences were demonstrated in relation to crypt depths between the groups (P = 0.60). Ongoing studies are being set forth by our group to add more data on the role of omentopexy as a tool to promote neovascularization and intestinal mucosal growth.