The Effect of Tenoxicam on Intraperitoneal Adhesions and Prostaglandin E2 Levels in Mice

Abstract

We determined whether tenoxicam administered intraperitoneally in the preoperative period had an effect on the development of postoperative intraabdominal adhesions (IAA).For this purpose, 100 albino mice were divided into four random groups. Mice in Group 1 were given only 1 mL of 0.9% NaCl intraperitoneally, whereas in Group 2, 1 mL of tenoxicam (150 [micro sign]g = 5 mg/kg) was administered. After the induction of anesthesia, a median laparotomy was performed, and the bowels were traumatized by touching them with powdered gloves before the incision was closed in Groups 3 and 4. Intraperitoneal tenoxicam was administered to mice in Group 4 after skin closure. All mice were killed after 14 days to determine macroscopic and microscopic IAA; prostaglandin E2 levels were also measured. Postoperative evaluation revealed a reduced IAA formation and a parallel decrease in tissue prostaglandin E2 levels in Group 1 and 2 mice. We conclude that intraperitoneal tenoxicam decreased IAA formation with no peritoneal reaction in the postoperative period. Implications: Postoperative intraabdominal adhesions can cause intestinal obstruction, pelvic pain, or infertility. In this study, we showed that intraperitoneally administered tenoxicam decreases tissue prostaglandin E2 levels and intraabdominal adhesions in mice. (Anesth Analg 1999;88:939-42)