UTILIZATION OF THE SEROSAL SCARIFICATION MODEL OF POSTOPERATIVE INTESTINAL ADHESION FORMATION TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL ADHESION-PREVENTING SUBSTANCES IN THE RABBIT

A rabbit serosal scarification model was utilized to compare the abili ty of four drugs, previously administered peri-operatively to horses u ndergoing exploratory celiotomy, to prevent the development of postope rative intestinal adhesions. The substances compared were 32% Dextran 70 (7 mL/kg), 1% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (7 mL/kg), trimethoprim sulfadiazine (30 mg/kg), and flunixin meglumine (1 mg/kg). The first t wo were administered intraabdominally following surgery, while the lat ter two were administered systemically in the peri-operative period. F ibrous adhesions were evident in all animals in the untreated serosal scarification group. No significant difference in the number of animal s with adhesions was found between the untreated control group and any treatment group, nor among the treatment groups, Microscopic examinat ion of adhesions collected at postmortem examination revealed fibers c onsistent with cotton, surrounded by a giant-cell reaction and ongoing acute inflammation. The source of the fibers was likely the cotton la parotomy sponges used to scarify the intestinal surface, since the pat tern in the granuloma and sponge fibers appeared similar under polariz ed light. Though consistent intestinal adhesion formation was produced in the rabbit, the presence of foreign body granulomas may prevent co nsideration of this model for future research. The drugs tested were i neffective in preventing the formation of postoperative small intestin al adhesions in this model.