Evaluation of the effect of Dracocephalum kotschyi hydroalcoholic extract in preventing intra-abdominal adhesions after abdominal surgery in rats based on inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-1β)

Intra-abdominal adhesion is a common complication after abdominal surgery and causes many complications. Inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress are effective in creating adhesions. Several methods have been invented to prevent intra-abdominal adhesions, none of which have been approved yet. In this study, we investigated the anti-abdominal adhesions effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi. It is an experimental study. Forty healthy male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups and abdominal surgery was performed in all of them to induce adhesion: group 1, control (with surgery and without active ingredient); group 2, chitosan gel injection in the abdominal area before suturing the site (as anti-adhesive); group 3, administration of alcoholic extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi at a dose of 40 mg/kg; group 4, administration of alcoholic extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi at a dose of 80 mg/kg; group 5, administration of alcoholic extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi at a dose of 120 mg/kg, for a week. Then, with deep anesthesia in rats, tissue samples were taken for histological studies and determination of the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) by biochemical analyses, and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) for gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β). The decrease in intra-abdominal adhesion index indicates the positive effect of the Dracocephalum kotschyi extract, which is confirmed by these results: MDA decreased compared to the control group, SOD and CAT was increased after prescription Dracocephalum kotschyi extract especially in DC120mg/kg. Gene expressions for two inflammatory markers were reduced in total groups compared to the control group. Dracocephalum kotschyi extract can reduce the adhesion index by reducing inflammatory factors and increasing antioxidant markers in rat models.