Langenbeck's archives of surgery
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Langenbecks Arch Surg · Apr 2001
Intraperitoneal capsaicin treatment reduces postoperative gastric ileus in awake rats.
Postoperative gastric ileus interferes with postoperative recovery of the patients. Previous studies suggest that capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons are involved in the mediation of postoperative gastric ileus. ⋯ Intraperitoneal capsaicin treatment 2 days prior to abdominal surgery resulted in immediate recovery of postoperative gastric motility, indicating an important role for serosal visceral afferent nerve fibers in the mediation of postoperative gastric ileus. Possibly, capsaicin or vanilloid (capsaicin) receptor agonists can be used to treat postoperative ileus in the future.