Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Creation of Abdominal Adhesions in Mice
Published on: August 27, 2016
The effect of opioids on the development of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions
Amir Khorram-Manesh1, Jalal Vahedian Ardakani, Hamid Reza Behjati
1Department of Surgery, Kungälv Hospital, Kungälv, Sweden. amir.khorram-manesh@vgregion.se
Abstract:
People addicted to opium rarely develop intra-abdominal adhesions after abdominal surgery. We aimed to evaluate the effect of opium or morphine on preventing postoperative adhesions in rats. Sixty-three rats were randomly divided into a control group, opium-addicted group, and morphine-addicted group in a double-blind study. Drug dependency was checked by using naloxone. Animals were then operated on and the cecum was abraded. At reoperation 3 weeks later the magnitude of adhesions was evaluated by a scoring system. There was a significant difference between the control, opium-addicted, and morphine-addicted groups with regard to the length (P < .001), thickness (P < .05), and severity of adhesions (P < .05). Opium or morphine reduces the severity of postoperative adhesions. Elucidation of the opioid receptor(s) involved in this process would enable the use of selective ligands and offer a pharmacologic strategy in preventing adhesion formation.
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Analgesia and Pain Management
Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Opioids as Antidiarrheal Agents
Opioids, widely used antidiarrheal agents, mitigate diarrhea by slowing down...
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
