Comparison of simvastatin gel and amnion membrane gel for preventing postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion formation in rat model

BACKGROUND: Despite various strategies aimed at preventing postoperative tissue adhesions, none of them could prevent adhesion formation consistently and completely. In this study, the effect of simvastatin and amnion jellies on preventing intra-abdominal adhesions has been investigated in the rat model. METHODS: Amnion jelly, simvastatin jelly, or normal saline was applied intraperitoneally after laparotomy in the study groups. The severity of adhesion formation was assessed during repeat laparotomy using Lauder and Hoffmann questionnaires and microscopic adhesion scoring. Moreover, the level of IL-1 and IL-6 cytokines was evaluated at three points: pre-operation, post-operation, and two weeks after the operation. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. RESULTS: We showed that using amnion jelly and simvastatin jelly could reduce Lauder and Hoffmann's scores. Histopathological reports also confirmed higher adhesion score in the control group compared to the amnion and simvastatin groups. The level of IL-1 and IL-6 in the control group increased two weeks after surgery; however, the level decreased in both amnion and simvastatin groups in the same period. The final level of IL-1 and IL-6 was lower in the amnion group in comparison with the simvastatin group. CONCLUSION: The study recommends that amnion and simvastatin jellies could be applied as novel and potentially effective treatments in the prevention of intraperitoneal adhesions.