Effect of oral supplementation of vitamin C on intestinal anastomotic resistance.

OBJECTIVE To compare the resistance of anastomosed and intact jejunal segments of rats submitted to administration of vitamin C in different postoperative periods. METHODS Fifty Wistar rats underwent enterotomy followed by end-to-end anastomosis of the jejunal segment, 10 cm from the duodenojejunal flexure. The animals were divided into two groups (n = 25): Group I--control; Group II--administration of oral vitamin C 100 mg/kg. We evaluated the bursting pressures of the anastomotic and the intact jejunal segments in the third, fifth, seventh, 21st and 28th postoperative days. RESULTS The rats that received vitamin C had higher anastomotic bursting pressure in the fifth, seventh and 28th postoperative days. The same happened with the bursting pressures of intact jejunal segments. CONCLUSION Vitamin C increased the resistance of jejunal anastomoses in rats, both in the immediate and in late postoperative periods. In addition, the final resistance of intact jejunal segments of rats under administration of vitamin C was significantly higher than in the control group.