The influence of adhesion prophylactic substances and taurolidine/heparin on local recurrence and intraperitoneal tumor growth after laparoscopic-assisted bowel resection of colon carcinoma in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to investigate the influence of adhesion prophylactic substances (Interceed/lntergel) as well as taurolidine/heparin on intraperitoneal tumor growth and the local recurrence rate after laparoscopic cecum resection in a rat tumor model.
METHODS: Sixty BDIX rats were randomized in three therapy groups and one control group. A laparoscopic-assisted cecum resection was performed via three-trocar method after intraperitoneal tumor cell application (10,000 cells) of a colon carcinoma cell line (DHD/K1/TRb) in all animals. According to the randomization, the cecum suture and a 1 x 1-cm peritoneal defect were either covered with Intergel/Interceed or 1 ml of 0.5% taurolidine 10 IU heparin. The control group underwent instillation of 1 ml 0.9% NaCl solution. After 4 weeks the animals were euthanized and intraperitoneal tumor growth, local recurrence rate, and the number of intraperitoneal adhesions were determined.
RESULTS: The local recurrence rate was not significantly affected by any of the substances. Nevertheless, taurolidine/heparin significantly reduced the total number and weight of intraperitoneal metastases. The formation of adhesions was not significantly influenced by adhesion prophylaxis substances or by taurolidine/heparin.
CONCLUSIONS: Taurolidine/heparin led to a significant reduction of intraperitoneal tumor growth after intraperitoneal application, whereas local tumor recurrence was not significantly influenced. This might be due to the number of injected tumor cells in this cell suspension model. Interceed and Intergel did not reduce intraperitoneal tumor growth. Furthermore, adhesion formation was not reduced by any of the substances.