The effect of 30-day pretreatment with pentoxifylline on the survival of a random skin fl ap in the rat: An ultrastructural and biomechanical evaluation

The aim of this study was to clarify the histological, ultrastructural and biomechanical effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the survival of random skin fl aps (RSFs) in rats. Material/Methods: Thirty male rats were randomly divided into experimental, sham and control groups. The experimental group received PTX 20 mg/kg/day, and the sham group received saline. A 20×70-mm RSF was made 30 days after the commencement of treatment for the three groups. PTX and saline were continued postoperatively for 7 days in the experimental and sham groups, respectively. On the seventh postoperative day, the surviving parts of the fl aps were determined and examined through light and transmission electron microscopes. The wounds (incisions) on the margins of the fl aps were evaluated histologically and biomechanically. Results: Analysis of variance showed that, in the experimental group, the mean of the surviving parts of the RSFs, fi broblast proliferation, collagen organization and granulation tissue of the wounds was signifi cantly higher than in the sham and control groups (P=0.007, P=0.001, P=0.041, P=0.000, respectively). There were swollen mitochondria in the endothelium of the blood vessels of the surviving fl ap parts in the control and sham groups, whereas in the experimental group the mitochondria were normal. Conclusions: Thirty days of pretreatment of RSFs with PTX signifi cantly increased the survival of the fl aps. PTX appeared to have healed wounds and reversed ultrastructural changes resulting from hypoxia in the blood vessel endothelium of the fl aps.

pentoxifylline • random skin fl ap • transmission electron microscopy • biomechanical evaluation • histology • rats