Acidification of rat colon with lactulose. Its effects on the healing of colonic anastomoses.

Preoperative preparation of rats with lactulose, 2.5 ml/kg of a 52.5% w/w solution, for two days resulted in increased bursting pressure and bursting wall tension of low colonic anastomoses three days postoperatively when compared with unprepared controls (85.8, viz, 36.1 mm Hg and 0.55, viz, 0.19 dynes/cm X 10(-5). After seven days, there was no appreciable difference in the rats with colonic acidification and in the controls.