[Evaluation of the hydro-alcoholic Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Aroeira) extract in the healing process of the alba linea in rats].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the healing process in the abdominal wall of rats after the intra-peritoneal injection of the hydro-alcoholic Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi extract.
METHODS: Forty Wistar rats were used, distributed in two groups of 20 animals, divided into two subgroups, according to the death day, three or seven, after the intra-peritoneal injection of the extract. The experimental group was injected with only one dose of the hydro-alcoholic Aroeira extract (100mg per animal kilogram); the control group was injected with only one dose of isotonic saline solution at 0.9%. After the animal death, an inventory of the peritoneal cavity was carried out in a careful search for any adhesion, followed by the resection of the anterior abdominal wall encompassing the operating incision in order to examine it for evidence of infection. The adhesions were classified according to the Nair criteria. The tensiometric assessment was performed by means of the measurement of the maximum charge and maximum deformity tolerated, measured in a universal Tiratest type testing machine and, finally, the histological evaluation was performed by means of the hematoxylin-eosine staining in following parameters: severe inflammation, chronic inflammation, ischemic necrosis, gigantocellular reaction of the foreign body type, fibroblastic proliferation, fibrosis, re-epithelization and co-optation of the suture borders.
RESULTS: The macroscopic evaluation didn't have any evidence of significant adherence between the alba linea and the intra-abdominal viscera in the study groups. The tensiometry showed significant effect for the Maximum Charge and Maximum Deformity (p=0.006 and p=0.000, respectively) between the 7-day control and experimental groups. The histological 3-day and 7-day control and experimental intergroup evaluation did not show significant alteration for the parameters vascular neoformation, necrosis, fibrosis, re-epithelization and co-aptation. A significant difference was perceived for fibroblastic proliferation (p=0.014) in the 3-day intergroup evaluation and for chronic inflammation (p=0.023) and gigantocellular reaction of the foreign body type (p=0.008) in the 7-day intergroup evaluation. The control intragroup analysis, had a significant difference for chronic inflammation in the 3-day group and, finally, in the experimental intragroup analysis, a significant difference was observed for acute inflammation and fibroblastic proliferation (p=0.001 and p=0.020) in the 3-day regarding the 7-day group.
CONCLUSION: The intraperitoneal injection of the Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi hydro-alcoholic extract in median laparotomies in rats has not determined any significant alteration in the macroscopic analysis, but it induced an increase of maximum charge of rupture and maximum deformity of the alba linea in the tensiometric analysis. In the histological point of view, the Aroeira group had a positive healing effect on the 3-day.