Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Creation of Abdominal Adhesions in Mice
Published on: August 27, 2016
Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of human tissue plasminogen activator prevents peritoneal adhesion
Hussein M Atta1, Ayman Al-Hendy, Mahmoud A El-Rehany
1Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt. attahm@ems.org.eg
Background:
Tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) demonstrated beneficial effects on peritoneal adhesion formation; however, its short half-life limits its continual fibrinolytic effect. Therefore, we delivered adenovirus encoding tPA to prevent adhesions.
Methods:
Rats were subjected to peritoneal injury and assigned to two protocols. In de novo adhesion protocol, adenovirus encoding human tPA gene (Ad-htPA) was instilled after peritoneal injury in group 1 (n = 22), whereas group 2 received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (n = 24). In recurrent adhesion protocol, group 1 (n = 15) received the same Ad-htPA dose after adhesiolysis and group 2 (n = 13) received PBS. Adhesion severity was scored 1 week after ad-htPA instillation. Adhesions were analyzed for htPA mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and levels of htPA, and fibrinolytic inhibitors PAI-1, TIMP-1, and TGF-beta1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
htPA mRNA and protein were only expressed in adhesions from treated groups. A reduction in adhesion scores (P < .01) and in fibrinolytic inhibitors (P < .001) occurred in the treatment groups. Also, negative correlation was found (r = -.69, P < .01) between adhesion scores and htPA protein, but a positive correlation was found (r = .90, P < .01) between adhesion score and fibrinolytic inhibitors. No bleeding or wound complications were encountered.
Conclusion:
Administration of adenovector encoding htPA is safe and decreased de novo and recurrent peritoneal adhesions.
