PURPOSE: To analyse the effect of tenoxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, on the abdominal wall healing in rats. METHODS: It was used 40 rats, submitted to longitudinal laparotomies, and allocated, randomly, in one control group (C), consisted of 20 rats treated with saline solution; and one test group (T), consisted of 20 rats treated with tenoxicam. The animals of each group were divided, according to their sacrifice day, into subgroups of 10 animals, named as C7, C14, T7 and T14. The numbers 7 and 14 indicated that the animal would be sacrificed on the 7th and 14th postoperative day, respectively. The tenoxicam (1mg/ml) and saline solution (NaCl 0,9%) were administrated by intramuscular injections, at the dose of 0,6 ml/kg/day, immediately after surgery and continued for 4 days. In the sacrifice day, two segments of the abdominal wall (1cm x 3 cm) were prepared and submitted to breaking strength measurement and hydroxyproline determination. RESULTS: No complications were observed in the four subgroups, including infection or dehiscence. There were no significant differences in the breaking strength measurement (p=0,262) and the hydroxyproline levels (p=0,392) among the four subgroups. CONCLUSION: The tenoxicam, administered intramuscularly, does not interfere on the abdominal wall healing of rats.
Tenoxicam; Wound healing; Abdominal wall
