Surgery-induced changes in red blood cell and plasma lipid peroxidation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and blood hematology of female rats: protective role of methylene blue and vitamin E

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2011 Mar;155(1):89-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2010.11.003. Epub 2010 Dec 4.

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to determine the effects on red blood cell (RBC) and plasma lipid peroxidation, antioxidants and blood hematology of intraperitoneally administered vitamin E (VE) and 1% methylene blue (MB) solutions for prevention of adhesions in rats.

Study design: Thirty-seven female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups. An adhesion model was constituted on the left uterine horn in three of the groups. They were then given intraperitoneally 0.9% saline (C group), 10 mg VE (VE group) and 1% MB (MB group) solutions, respectively. A sham group (Sh group), on which laparotomy was performed, received 2 ml of 0.9% saline solution.

Results: In the C group, the adhesion scores were significantly higher than in the VE (p<0.01), MB (p<0.01) and Sh groups (p<0.005). Results showed that adhesion formation significantly induced nitric oxide (NO) (p<0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma (p<0.01). The levels of RBC glutathione (GSH) (p<0.05) and plasma VE (p<0.01) significantly increased after VE administration, whereas the levels of MDA (RBC and plasma) (p<0.01), plasma NO (p<0.01), blood lymphocyte count (p<0.05) and blood white blood cell (WBC) counts (p<0.01) decreased. Treatment with MB caused a significant increase in plasma VE (p<0.01). On the other hand, results showed that MB significantly decreased blood WBC counts (p<0.01), plasma paraoxonase (PON1) (p<0.001) and NO (p<0.01), and RBC glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (p<0.05) and MDA levels (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Intraperitoneal administration of MB and VE is significantly effective in preventing intraabdominal adhesion formation in a rat model. Further investigations are necessary, however, to better understand the underlying biochemical mechanisms on lipid peroxidation and antioxidants of MB.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / analysis*
  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use*
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase / blood
  • Erythrocytes / drug effects*
  • Erythrocytes / metabolism
  • Female
  • Glutathione / blood
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / blood
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects*
  • Malondialdehyde / blood
  • Methylene Blue / therapeutic use*
  • Nitric Oxide / blood
  • Postoperative Complications / blood
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tissue Adhesions / blood
  • Tissue Adhesions / prevention & control*
  • Uterus / surgery
  • Vitamin E / blood
  • Vitamin E / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Vitamin E
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Aryldialkylphosphatase
  • Glutathione
  • Methylene Blue