Pinealectomy does not affect the healing of experimental colonic anastomoses

Gastrointestinal system anastomoses, especially colonic anastomoses, have significant morbidity and mortality despite recent technical improvements. Besides regulating the circadian rhythm, the pineal gland and its main neurohormone product melatonin have widespread actions in the organism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pinealectomy on the healing of colonic anastomoses. One hundred male albino Wistar rats were used in this study. The rats were separated into three groups: control, pinealectomy, and sham groups. In the control group, only colonic resection and anastomoses were performed. Following pinealectomy, colonic anastomosis was performed 2 weeks later on one half and 2 months later on the other half of the pinealectomy group. Only craniotomy was performed on the sham group, and the rats were separated and evaluated like the pinealectomy group. Colonic anastomoses were evaluated on postanastomotic day 3 and 7 by measuring the bursting pressure and the hydroxyproline levels in the anastomotic segments. There was no difference in the bursting pressure measurements between the groups on both postoperative day 3 and 7. Although hydroxyproline levels were different between groups on both postanastomotic days 3 and 7, it has been observed that neither normal nor anastomotic hydroxyproline levels influenced the anastomotic bursting pressure measurements. The percent deviation from the normal values was compared in the anastomotic segments, and no differences were found regarding the bursting pressure and hydroxyproline levels. It was concluded that pinealectomy has no effect on the healing of colonic anastomoses.