Cytometric evaluation of abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes after percutaneous CO₂ infiltration.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide infusion to abdominal wall adipocytes. METHODS Fifteen volunteers were subjected to sessions of CO₂ infusion for three consecutive weeks (two sessions per week with intervals of two to three days between each). The volume of carbon dioxide infused per session, at points previously marked, was always calculated on the basis of surface area to be treated, with a fixed infused volume of 250 ml/100 cm² of treated surface. The infiltration points were marked respecting the limit of 2 cm equidistant between them. At each point 10 ml was injected per session, with a flow of 80 ml/min. Fragments were collected from subcutaneous tissue of the anterior abdominal wall before and after treatment. The number and histomorphological changes of adipocytes (mean diameter, perimeter, length, width and number of adipocytes per field of observation) were measured by computerized cytometry. The results were analyzed with paired Student t test, adopting a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). RESULTS There was a significant reduction in the number of adipocytes in the abdominal wall, as well as the area, diameter, perimeter, length and width of the adipocytes, after the infusion of CO₂ (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION The percutaneous infiltration of CO₂ reduces the population of adipocytes of the anterior abdominal wall and modifies their morphology.