Expression of transforming growth factor beta isoform mRNA in injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions and without adhesions and in uninjured peritoneum

Objective: To compare the mRNA levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) isoforms 1, 2, and 3 among surgically injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions, surgically injured peritoneum that healed without adhesions, and uninjured peritoneum. Design: Prospective experimental study. Setting: University vivarium. Animal(s): Fourteen sexually mature female Sprague-Dawley rats, 226-250 grams. Interventions(s): Standardized cecal abrasion was performed on 120 Sprague-Dawley rats. The areas of abrasion and any resultant adhesions were harvested at necropsy 7 days later. Total RNA was then extracted from the serosal adhesions of four rats, from the serosa of five rats that healed without adhesion formation, and from analogous areas of cecum from five rats that did not undergo abrasion and served as controls. Main Outcome Measure(s): Quantification of the expression of the TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 mRNA transcripts in peritoneal adhesions, normally healed peritoneum, and fresh, uninjured peritoneal tissue through the use of multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results(s): Peritoneal adhesion TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 mRNA expression was 3.7-fold and 8.6-fold higher, respectively, than in abraded tissues that healed normally; and 5.6-fold and 4.6-fold higher, respectively, than in nonabraded tissues. While TGF-β2 mRNA levels were also higher in serosal adhesions compared with normally healed and uninjured peritoneum, this rise was not statically significant. Conclusion(s): Peritoneal adhesions resulting from surgical abrasion of a serosal surface have statistically significant increased levels of TGF-β1 and -β3 mRNA transcripts compared with both uninjured and normally healed peritoneum.