Evaluation of the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) and agonist (GnRH-a) in the prevention of postoperative adhesion formation in a rat model with immunohistochemical analysis.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of GnRH antagonist (GnRH-ant) and agonist (GnRH-a) in the prevention of postoperative pelvic adhesions by a visual scoring system and immunohistochemical methods in a rat uterine horn model. DESIGN: Controlled experimental animal study. SETTING: Animal laboratory at an academic research environment. ANIMAL(S) Twenty-one Wistar albino rats. INTERVENTION(S) Rats were randomized into three groups. One week before the operation the rats received either GnRH-ant or GnRH-a or saline solution; they then underwent surgical laparotomy, and both uterine horns were traumatized by a scalpel. Three weeks later, all rats were sacrificed and extension and severity of the adhesions in each group were scored by a visual scoring system. Adhesion tissues were evaluated immunohistochemically for vitronectin and u-PAR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Scores of extend and severity of adhesions and staining of vitronectin and u-PAR. RESULT(S) The extent of adhesion scores were 1.85 ± 0.86, 0.78 ± 1.05, and 0.42 ± 0.64, and the severity of adhesion scores were 1.71 ± 0.91, 0.57 ± 0.85, 0.50 ± 0.75 for control, GnRH-ant, and GnRH-a groups, respectively. The extent and severity of adhesions were significantly lower in both GnRH-ant and GnRH-a groups when compared with the control group. Adhesion extent scores in the GnRH-a group were lower than in the GnRH-ant group, but this difference was not significant. vitronectin and u-PAR staining were significantly greater in both the GnRH-ant and GnRH-a groups than in the control group. CONCLUSION(S) GnRH-ant as well as GnRH-a reduced postoperative adhesion formation in a rat model. This finding was supported immunohistochemically by vitronectin and u-PAR staining.