Impact of aromatase inhibitors on adhesion formation in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiadhesion potential of tamoxifen and anastrozole in a rat uterine horn model. DESIGN: Experimental animal study. SETTING: University animal laboratory. ANIMAL(S): Forty-five female Wistar albino rats. INTERVENTION(S): We examined the effects of tamoxifen and anastrozole to reduce the extent and severity of postoperative adhesions in a rat uterine horn model: the control group received no therapy while the second and third groups received 500 mug/day tamoxifen and 0.2 mg/kg/day anastrazole, respectively, through an enteric tube, starting 5 days before surgery. These protocols were continued for 14 days after the surgery until the rats were killed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Adhesions were scored according to their extent and severity, and specimens were also evaluated and scored histologically according to the following features: inflammation, fibroblastic activities, foreign body reaction, collagen formation, and vascular proliferation. RESULT(S): Anastrozole had the lowest mean adhesion scores, and these scores were significantly different from those of the controls. However, there were no statistically significant differences between control and tamoxifen groups and between tamoxifen and anastrozole groups. Histologic scores were lowest in the anastrozole group, which were statistically different from those of the tamoxifen and anastrozole groups, whereas scores of the control group were not statistically different from those of the tamoxifen group. CONCLUSION(S): Anastrazole decreased postsurgical adhesion scores by both visual scores and histologic analyses in a rat model. Further experimental and clinical trials are required to confirm these results.