Histopathological study of the effect of Acetaminophen on healing of stomach surgical wounds in the rats

Nowadays pain sedation and faster healing of surgical wounds is more challenging to researchers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate histopathological effects of acetaminophen, as a non-opiod analgesic without anti-inflammatory effects, on healing of stomach surgical wounds in the rats. Fifteen male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups (sham, negative control and experimental) with five subjects in each. A gastrotomy incision with one cm in length was made in the greater curvature of stomach in the rats, which was thereafter sutured in 2 layers. The experimental group was orally given acetaminophen (30 mg/kg) solved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) 5% (10 mL/Kg) daily for 15 days. The negative control and sham groups received DMSO 5% (10 mL/Kg) and normal saline (10 mL/Kg) respectively in the same manner as the experimental group. Histopathological studies and comparison of wound healing among the groups were carried out considering the more effective factors on wound healing such as proliferation of fibroblasts, angiogenesis, re-epithelialization and collagen production. Significant differences among the groups were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS statistical software at the significant level of P<0.05. There were no significant differences among the groups regarding the number of fibroblasts, capillary buds, epithelial gap size, and collagen content in healing of surgical wounds. The results indicated that acetaminophen has no adverse side-effects on surgical wound healing of the stomach in rats; thus, it can be used as a pain relief after stomach surgery