ADHESION-PROMOTING PROPERTIES OF DYES ROUTINELY USED DURING FERTILITYSURGERIES

Purpose: With the link between peritoneal adhesions and infertility we ll established, it is critical that materials used in pelvic surgery b e tested for their adhesion-forming properties. The current study exam ined the adhesion-inducing properties of two dyes routinely used for v isualization during pelvic surgery. Design: In vivo and in vitro exami nation of the effects of the dyes methylene blue and indigo carmine on adhesion formation in a mouse model. Method: A series of three experi ments was conducted. In the first, dyes were injected directly into th e peritoneal cavity. The mice were then sacrificed at one of two time points and the peritoneal cavity examined for adhesion formation. In a ddition, because of their purposed role in adhesion formation, macroph ages from the cavity were examined for signs of dye-induced activation . Further studies of macrophage activation were then conducted in vitr o to determine the effects of dye concentration and exposure time on t he activation process. Results: Both methylene blue and indigo carmine appeared to induce adhesion formation as well as macrophage activatio n in vivo. Further, long-term exposure to visual concentrations of bot h dyes appeared to induce macrophage activation. However, only those m acrophages exposed to methylene blue exhibited signs of activation whe n the exposure time was limited to times equivalent to those which mig ht be expected during surgery. Conclusion: Of the two dyes tested, ind igo carmine might be the dye of choice in surgeries where fertility is to be maintained.