THE EFFECT OF ENTERAL IMMUNNUTRITION ON EXPERIMENTAL WOUND HEALING

Abstract

It has been reported that immunnutrition decreases postoperative complications. However, there are limited data about the effect of immunnutrition on wound healing, in this study, we aimed to find out the effect of enteral immunnutrition on wound healing, which is a metabolic and immunologic process. Sixty Wistar Albino rats were divided into 3 groups following simple laparotomy and primary closure: Rats were fed standard laboratory chow in group l (control group); standard enteral nutrition solution (Osmolite(r)-Abbot,USA) in group 2 (SEN); enteral immunnutrition solution, which contains arginine and nucleotide and omega-3 fatty acids, (lmpact(r)-Novartis,UK) in group 3 (EIN). The rats in each group were further randomly divided in two subgroups that were sacrificed on postoperative days 7 and 14. Serum albumin and total protein levels, skin hydroxyproline level and wound breaking strength were measured for each animal. Results were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc test. On postoperative day 7; serum albumin levels were higher in EİN group than SEN and control groups (p<0.05). No statistical differences were found among the groups with respect to the other parameters. On postoperative day 14; serum albumin and total protein levels in EIN group, skin hydroxyproline levels in SEN group and wound breaking strength measurements in all groups were higher on postoperative day 14 than day 7 (p<0.05). In EIN group, serum albumin and total protein and skin hydroxyproline levels were higher than those in control group (p<0,05), While wound breaking strength measurements were higher in EIN group than SEN and control groups, there was no statistical difference between SEN and control groups. As a result, higher serum protein and skin hydroxyproline levels and wound breaking strength were obtained in the rats with enteral immunnutrition than with rat chow or standard enteral nutrition.