There are reports of ischemic complications in clinical practice after laparoscopy
using pneumoperitoneum. Conditioning has a beneficial effect for various ischemic
diseases. This experimental study was designed to evaluate the effects of postconditioning
in transvaginally created pneumoperitoneum. Sixty adult female rats, weighing 300±50
g were divided into four equal groups. Pneumoperitoneum was created by CO2 insufflation
under a pressure of 10 mmHg. Rats in the first group (sham) were subjected to only
sham-operation or gas insufflation. The second group (TV/PP) was subjected to pneumoperitoneum
for 60 min followed by 30 min of desufflation. The third group (post-5) was subjected
to pneumoperitoneum for 60 min followed by 5 min of desufflation, 5 min of insufflation
and again followed by 30 min of desufflation. The fourth group (post-2.5) was subjected
to pneumoperitoneum for 60 min followed by 2.5 min of desufflation and 2.5 min of
insufflation-repeated in two cycles- and then followed by 30 min of desufflation.
The rats were sacrificed, and blood was collected after 30 min, 2 and 6 h from the
last desufflation. Levels of oxidative stress markers, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide
dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), sulfhydryl groups (SH) and inflammatory
cytokine TNF-α, were analyzed. Levels of MDA in the post-5 group were significantly
reduced compared to the TV/PP and post-2.5 groups. The level of GSH in TV/PP animals
was markedly reduced compared to the Sham, Post-5 and Post-2.5 groups. In addition,
levels of SH were increased in the Post-5 group in comparison to the Sham, TV/PP and
Post-2.5 groups. No difference in the activity of SOD between the groups was found,
and the concentration of TNF-α in TV/PP animals was significantly higher than that
in the Sham and postconditioning groups. Overall, the results of the present study
indicate that postconditioning can reduce pneumoperitoneum-induced oxidative injury.
