Obesity and abdominal wound healing in rats

Abstract

Introduction: Treatment for obesity essentially has to do with weight loss, which can be achieved through surgical procedures. Despite the considerable rise in the number of such procedures, the relationship between obesity and the healing process has not been totally clarified. Purpose: To investigate abdominal wound healing in obese Wistar rats on the seventh and fourteenth days following a laparotomy. Methods: Thirty-six Wistar rats were randomly distributed into two groups, the control and experiment group. The control group were fed on either a standard diet for the species and the experiment group were put on a high calorie diet. After 116 days, all the animals were submitted to a laparotomy followed by laparorrhaphy. After euthanasia on the seventh or fourteenth day, fragments of the abdominal wound containing the scar were submitted to histopathological and tensiometric analysis. Results: The average weight of the animals from the experiment group was higher than that of the control group (p<0.001). The difference in the resistance of the cutaneous scars was not significant. The aponeurotic scars were more resistant in the control group after seven days (p=0.011) and fourteen days (p=0.040). There was no difference in terms of intensity of the inflammatory reaction and the collagen density was similar in both groups. Conclusion: In rats, obesity lowered the resistance of the aponeurotic scars but not the skin scars. It did not interfere with the delayed inflammatory response and the collagen density. Key words: Wound Healing. Obesity. Collagen. Rats. RESUMO Introdução:O tratamento da obesidade é baseado essencialmente na perda de peso, e isto pode ser conseguido por meio de procedimentos cirúrgicos. Apesar do grande aumento no número destes procedimentos, a relação entre obesidade e o processo de cicatrização ainda não está totalmente elucidada. Objetivo: Investigar a cicatrização da parede abdominal de ratos Wistar obesos, sete e 14 dias após laparotomia. Métodos: Ratos Wistar, em número de 36 foram alocados em dois grupos, controle e experimento. Os do grupo controle receberam dieta padrão para a espécie e os do experimento dieta hipercalórica. Depois de 116 dias, todos os animais foram submetidos à laparotomia seguida de laparorrafia. Após a eutanásia com sete ou 14 dias, fragmentos da parede abdominal contendo a cicatriz receberam análise histopatológica e tensiométrica. Resultados: O peso médio dos animais do grupo experimento foi maior do que o do grupo controle (p<0,001). A diferença da resistência das cicatrizes cutâneas não foi significante. As cicatrizes aponeuróticas foram mais resistentes no grupo controle aos sete dias (p=0,011) e aos 14 dias (p=0,040). Não houve diferença quanto à intensidade da reação inflamatória e a densidade de colágeno foi semelhante nos dois grupos. Conclusão: Em ratos, a obesidade diminuiu a resistência das cicatrizes aponeuróticas, mas não a das cicatrizes da pele. Não interferiu na reação inflamatória tardia e nem na densidade do colágeno. Descritores: Cica...

Prospective single blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of metformin in promoting wound healing and weight reduction in non-diabetic overweight post-operative female patients

“…2,3 Obesity can also decrease inflammatory and immune response needed for good wound WHO has defined overweight as an abnormal accumulation of body fat with BMI >25 kg/m 2 and obesity as >30 kg/m. [2][3][4] Steady increase in the percentage of obesity in adults and children have been reported by WHO and NFHS studies. It is expected that by 2015 increase in the overweight population will be from 1.6 million to 2-3 billion and obesity from 400 million to 700 million.…”

“…It is expected that by 2015 increase in the overweight population will be from 1.6 million to 2-3 billion and obesity from 400 million to 700 million. 4,5 Prevalence of obesity is more in females than in males and is seen more in urban than in a rural population. In Indian scenario, even though the prevalence of obesity seems low with 2.1% (females 2.8% and males 1.3%) compared to international prevalence, 6 under nutrition will be an added risk.…”

“…5,6 Resistance lowering effect of obesity on the aponeurotic scars has been demonstrated by a study on abdominal wound in obesity-induced Wistar rats. 4 Wound infection rate has been reported as 29% and 24% in gynecology abdominal hysterectomies in obese patients by Krebs and Helmkamp, respectively, whereas it was only 4% in non-obese patients.…”

“…[1][2][3] WHO and National Family Health Survey (NFHS) studies have reported steady increase in obesity more in females than in males. [4][5][6] Undernutrition will be an added risk even with the low prevalence of obesity (2.1%) in India. 5,6 Resistance lowering effect of obesity on the aponeurotic scars has been demonstrated by a study on abdominal wound in obesity-induced Wistar rats.…”

Exercise, Obesity, and Cutaneous Wound Healing: Evidence from Rodent and Human Studies

“…In a similar study, rats fed a high-fat diet for 4 months had reduced wound strength compared to nonobese controls in an experimental model of abdominal laparotomy, which induces a skin wound as well as scar formation. 28 In a study in female mice, those rodents fed a reduced-calorie diet healed faster than either ovariectomized (OVX) or intact mice fed a HFD, although presence of estrogen was partially protective against delayed wound healing, possibly as a result of increased weight gain in the OVX mice. 29 Genetic obesity studies.…”