Ethyl pyruvate improves healing of colonic anastomosis in a rat model of peritonitis.

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of ethyl pyruvate (EP) on wound healing in primary colonic anastomoses in intraperitoneal sepsis.

METHODS

Standard left colon resection and end-to-end anastomosis were performed on 30 rats. They were grouped as control (C)--no further treatment; sepsis (S)--received 2 mL Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) intraperitoneally (IP), and after 5 hours, standard resection and anastomosis were performed; or sepsis-group treated with EP (S-EP)--received 2 mL E coli IP, after 5 hours, standard resection and anastomosis were performed and treated with EP 50 mg/kg IP for 7 days. On the postoperative day 7, the animals were sacrificed.

RESULTS

The anastomosis bursting pressure in group S was significantly lower than in the other groups. There were no differences between groups C and S-EP. Tissue hydroxyproline concentrations in group C were significantly higher than in group S.

CONCLUSIONS

EP administration prevented intraperitoneal sepsis-induced impaired anastomotic healing of colon.