Histological Benefits of Sealants in Tracheal Lesions in Wistar Rats.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of our study was to compare the effect, on the inflammatory response and fibrosis formation, of four commercially available sealant products applied on an injured trachea in a Wistar rat population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared four different sealants: cyanoacrylate, fibrin/thrombin, albumin/glutaraldehyde, and polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel (PEG). Rats were organized into six groups of similar size. Four of them were experimental, one was a baseline control group (BCG), and the sixth one was a reference control group (RCG). The RCG and experimental groups underwent the same surgical intervention with tracheal puncture, but no sealant was applied in the RCG. The BCG underwent the same cervical and peritracheal dissection without tracheal puncture. Rats were euthanized after eight weeks.

RESULTS: The operation was performed on 54 rats, of which 12 died, leaving a final sample of 42 rats. Macroscopic analysis revealed no superficial tracheal or vascular fistulas, nor signs of local abscess. Although the groups treated with cyanoacrylate, fibrin/thrombin, and albumin/glutaraldehyde showed some degree of fibrosis, the treated area of the PEG group showed neither inflammatory nor scar signs. Microscopic assessment of the BCG and RCG showed no remarkable findings. With the exception of the PEG group, which had a light fibrosis and poor inflammatory response as did the BCG and RCG groups, the other groups showed varying degrees of fibrosis and cicatrization.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the group treated with PEG had a mild inflammatory and fibrotic response, which is useful in tracheal or tracheobronchial surgical procedures. However, groups treated with cyanoacrylate, fibrin/thrombin, and albumin/glutaraldehyde showed fibrosis and cicatrization.