Comparison of the Effectiveness of Nigella Sativa and Vitamin E in Preventing Intra-abdominal Adhesions.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of locally applied Nigella sativa (NS) oil and Vitamin E (vit E) in a rat adhesion model. ANIMALS: Thirty-six male Wistar rats (90 days old, 240 ± 37 g) METHODS: Animals were assigned to three groups: control (sterile saline), NS oil (10 mg/kg), and vit E (50 mg/kg). After inducing intra-abdominal adhesion, the treatments were administered intraperitoneally. On day 8, rats were euthanized, and adhesions were scored macroscopically. Levels of IL-6, TNF-α, PGE2, TGF-β1, VEGF, IL-10 and IL-1β were measured, and histopathological evaluation and Picro-Sirius Red staining were performed. RESULTS: Adhesion scores did not significantly differ between groups (p = 0.680). TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the control group compared to the vit E group (p = 0.011), with no significant difference between the NS oil and vit E groups. PGE2 levels differed significantly between the NS oil and vit E groups (p = 0.023). IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β1 and VEGF levels did not show significant differences (p > 0.05). Histopathology revealed reduced fibrosis and inflammation in the vit E group compared to NS oil (p < 0.001). Picro-Sirius Red staining showed improved collagen maturation in the vit E group, followed by NS oil, with the control group exhibiting less mature collagen. CONCLUSION: Both treatments showed efficacy, but vit E was superior in reducing inflammation and fibrosis and enhancing collagen maturation.