Melatonin exhibits supportive effects on oxidants and anastomotic healing during intestinal ischemia/reperfusion...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin on intestinal anastomosis after intestinal ischemia/ reperfusion injury (IRI).

Thirty Wistar albino rats of both sexes were divided into 3 groups: sham, control, and treatment. IRI was performed by clamping the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 30 minutes, followed by reperfusion. The sham rats received only manipulation of the SMA. Melatonin (10 mg/kg) was administered to the treatment group, and the control group was given a vehicle injection. Both the treatment group and the control group further underwent ileal resection of a 1-cm segment and anastomosis. On the postoperative seventh day, the anastomotic burst pressure, hydroxyproline level, histological indices of wound healing, and oxidative parameters of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total glutathione (T-GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were measured. A one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test were used for the categorical data.

Melatonin treatment led to a significantly higher burst pressure (p=0.027 and p<0.001, respectively). The 2 antioxidant enzymes, CAT and SOD, were at the highest level in the sham and melatonin groups and the lowest level in the control group (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). Melatonin treatment resulted in a significantly higher level of both enzymes compared with the control group (p=0.026 and 0.003, respectively). The GSHpx and total GSH levels were slightly elevated in the treated rats, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.205 and 0.216, respectively). Fibroblast infiltration, capillary formation, and epithelialization were significantly better in the melatonin-treated animals. The granulocyte and mononuclear infiltration scores were similar between all groups.

It was concluded that melatonin had marked effects on intestinal anastomotic healing during intestinal IRI.