Impact of intraperitoneal pressure of a CO2 pneumoperitoneum on the surgical peritoneal environment.

BACKGROUND Animal experiments have suggested that a high intraperitoneal pressure (IPP) might adversely affect the surgical peritoneal environment. The present experimental study investigates the impact of IPP of a CO(2) pneumoperitoneum on human peritoneum. METHODS Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery were subjected to either low (8 mmHg) or standard (12 mmHg) IPP. Normal peritoneum was collected from the parietal wall at the beginning of surgery and every 60 min thereafter. Expression levels of 168 genes that encode extracellular matrix proteins, adhesion molecules or inflammatory cytokine signaling molecules were measured in peritoneal tissues using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay panels. Human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) and human peritoneal fibroblasts (HPFBs) were incubated in a CO(2) insufflation chamber for 1 h at 12 or 8 mmHg. Hyaluronan (HA) synthesis and mRNA expression levels of hyaluronic acid synthases (HAS) and hyaluronidases (Hyal) in HPMCs and HPFBs were measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after CO(2) gas exposure by ELISA and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS Expression levels of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9, E-selectin, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (CXCL-2), Hyal-1 and Hyal-2 were significantly higher and those of HAS-1, HAS-3, thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2) and interleukin-10 were significantly lower in the 12 mmHg group compared with the 8 mmHg group. HA synthesis was significantly lower in the 12 mmHg group compared with the 8 mmHg group in HPMCs and HPFBs throughout the time course. CONCLUSIONS A low IPP (8 mmHg) may be better than the standard IPP (12 mmHg) to minimize the adverse impact on the surgical peritoneal environment during a CO(2) pneumoperitoneum.