The effects of steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on tracheal wound healing in an experimental rat model.

Objectives: The effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), mostly used for postoperative analgesic purposes for wound healing, is still a matter of debate. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of the most widely used NSAID and corticosteroids after surgical operations on tracheal wound healing in an experimental rat model.

Methods: Thirty-nine male Wistar albino rats were included in this study. Tracheotomy was performed in 32 rats; then they were divided into 3 groups. After the first day, the animals in group 1 were treated with an NSAID (diclofenac 10 mg/kg/day) (NSAID, n = 12) for 7 days; the animals in group 2 were treated with a corticosteroid (dexamethasone, 2 × 0.1 mg/kg/day) (steroid, n = 10) for 7 days; the animals in group 3 (control, n = 10) were not given any medications. For a fourth group (histological control, n = 7), in order to evaluate normal morphological and histological characteristics, neither surgery nor medication was used. Five rats were eliminated from the study (2 rats in the NSAID group died and 3 rats in the steroid group developed local wound infections). The drop-out rate was 12.8%. Histological characteristics, inflammation, fibrosis, necrosis, neochondrogenesis, neovascularization and epithelization were evaluated in 34 rats. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results: Inflammation, vascularization and number of fibroblasts and chondrocytes were significantly higher in the control group than in the histological control group. There was some reduction in all parameters except vascularization in the NSAID group (P > 0.05). When the steroid group was compared to the NSAID group, inflammation (P < 0.05), vascularization and number of chondrocytes (P > 0.05) were more suppressed in the steroid group. The number of fibroblasts increased in the steroid group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Steroids and NSAID may have negative effects on tracheal wound healing, probably by suppressing inflammation and fibroblast proliferation. NSAID was mostly used postoperatively for analgesic purposes and should be avoided.