PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF PIRFENIDONE AGAINST EXPERIMENTAL SCLEROSING PERITONITIS IN RATS

We investigated the preventive effect of pirfenidone (PFD), a newly de veloped anti-fibrotic agent, on experimental sclerosing peritonitis (s p) which we had established in rats. Male Wistar rats (150-250 g) were divided into the following two groups; 7 rats were treated with daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 0.1% chlorhexidine gluconate (CH) and 15% ethanol solved in 2 ml of saline for 26 days as a control of SP model (CH group) and 6 rats were treated daily with peroral (p.o.) administration of 350 mg/kg of PFD in addition to the daily i.p. injec tion of aforementioned CH-ethanol-saline solution for 26 days (CH + PF D group). Macroscopic intraperitoneal changes and histological fibroti c changes were graded by scoring in a blind manner. Actual subserosal thickness was measured by observation under light microscope. Body wei ght gain was significantly greater in CH + PFD group than in CH group (P < 0.05). Macroscopic intraperitoneal adhesion changes in CH + PFD g roup were significantly fewer than in CH group (P < 0.05). Fibrotic ch anges were fewer and subserosal thickness in liver and intestine were smaller in CH + PFD group with statistical significance (p < 0.1). We concluded that PFD markedly inhibited or prevented fibrotic changes in the experimental sclerosing peritonitis induced by CH.