Ce. Daphan et al., Effects of laparotomy, and carbon dioxide and air pneumoperitoneum, on cellular immunity and peritoneal host defences in rats, EURO J SURG, 165(3), 1999, pp. 253-258
Objective: To assess the effects of laparotomy, and insufflation of carbon
dioxide and air, on the immune system in rats.
Design: Randomised laboratory study.
Setting: Teaching hospital, Turkey.
Animals: 77 Wistar rats randomly allocated to 2 groups one of which was sen
sitised with dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB, n = 43) and one of which was not (
n = 34).
Interventions: The DNFB group was sensitised and subdivided into control (n
= 8), laparotomy alone (n = 7), and insufflation with carbon dioxide (CO2)
for 30 and 60 mins (n = 7 in each) or room air for 30 and 60 mins (n = 7 i
n each). A week later DNFB was reapplied to the ears. In the group not sens
itised with DNFB the animals were subdivided similarly, the corresponding n
umbers in each group being, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5, and 5.
Main outcome measures: Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) measured by ear
swelling in the DNFB group, and peritoneal bactericidal activity, total fre
e peritoneal cell counts (TPC), and cell types in the non-sensitised group.
Results: There were significant differences in the degree of ear swelling i
n the DNFB group between control and laparotomy groups (p = 0.0001) and bet
ween control and both insufflations of air (p = 0.002 and p = 0.0003, respe
ctively). In the non-sensitised group peritoneal bactericidal activity was
significantly increased after 7 hours in the 60 mins air insufflation group
(p = 0.04). At 24 hours there were no differences among the groups. TPC we
re not affected. The number of peritoneal polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN
) was significantly higher in the laparotomy alone group than in the contro
l or any of the insufflation groups (p < 0.05).
Conlusions: Laparotomy and air insufflation depressed cell-mediated immunit
y. Peritoneal bactericidal activity was affected only after 60 minutes of a
ir insufflation.