A morphometric study of the intestinal mucosa of rats submitted to omentoenteropexy

Abstract

CONTEXT: The omentoenteropexy technique was developed as an alternative method for intestinal neovascularization, due to the angiogenic properties of factors from the omentum. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated changes in intestinal villi heights and crypts depths due to surgical techniques: seromiotomy with and without omentoenteropexy. METHOD: Thirty rats were operated on, after being divided into three groups, namely GI, GII and GIII with 10 rats each. In the GI rats were submitted to omentoenteropexy; rats in GII were submitted only to a seromiotomy, and in the GIII only laparotomy. Sixty days after the first surgery, the animals were sacrificed and a segment of intestine was removed for histology using Masson's trichrome technique and morphometric study of intestinal mucosa. RESULTS: The histological findings showed that seromiotomy with or without omentoenteropexy increased the length of intestinal villi when compared with GIII (only laparotomy) (analysis of variance: P = 0.0068; GI 38.88 ± 4.17; GII 39.41± 6.33; GIII 31.85 ± 5.56; GI = GII P>0.05; GII>GIII P<0.05; GI>GIII P<0.001). CONCLUSION: No differences were demonstrated in relation to crypt depths between the groups (P = 0.60). Ongoing studies are being set forth by our group to add more data on the role of omentopexy as a tool to promote neovascularization and intestinal mucosal growth.