Effects of Polylysine and Polyglutamate on Inflammation and the Normal Process of Peritoneal Healing After Surgery

Introduction: Intraperitoneal adhesions are common after abdominal surgery and may lead to serious clinical complications. Previous studies have investigated the possible effects of the polypeptides poly-L-lysine (αPL) and poly-L-glutamate (PG) forming a polymer complex that prohibits local peritoneal adhesions after surgery. The aim of this study was to examine whether the normal process of peritoneal healing was affected by PL/PG polymer matrix.
Material and methods: Male rats (Sprague Dawley) (n=84) underwent abdominal wall surgery and suturing. Rats were randomized in groups according to evaluation time (2, 4, 6, 8, 24 hours and 7 days) with corresponding control groups. Controls received saline (0.9%) and the experimental groups received PL/PG on the surgery site. tPA, PAI-1, IL-6 and active TGFb1 were analyzed at given time points postoperatively in peritoneal lavage. Adhesions were evaluated after seven days. Significant differences were considered to be p<0.05.
Results: At a few individual time points small differences were seen between the groups (control and experiment) comparing levels of tPA, PAI-1, IL-6 and active TGFb1. When comparing levels of substances from all time points no statistical differences were seen between the groups as a total. Adhesions were significantly decreased on day 7, p=0.002.
Conclusion: Despite significant reduction in adhesions PL/PG administered intraperitoneally as an anti-adhesion agent locally on surgically traumatized area does not seem to affect the normal process of peritoneal healing.