Kinetic analysis of experimental post-operative peritoneal healing: The incorporation of proline and glucosamine by exudative and tissue repair cells

The purpose of this study was to experimentally investigate the cellular composition of post-surgical peritoneal fluid and peritoneal tissue and determine the patterns of¹⁴C-proline and¹⁴C-glucosamine incorporation by the peritoneal exudative cells and peritoneal tissue repair cells (PEC and PTRC). One group of rabbits underwent resection (2.0 cm) and reanastomosis of their ileum, and another group underwent peritoneal wall abrasion. Postoperatively (1–28 days), the PEC and PTRC were collected and incubated for 5 days with 0.5 μCi¹⁴C-glucosamine or¹⁴C-proline, and the specific activity thereafter determined by beta counting. On the 1st postoperative day, the total cell number (TCN) had increased (7.7×10⁷ cells/rabbit) to 770 per cent of the control values primarily as a result of the PMN influx (89.9 per cent). On day 3, the TCN was 6.1×10⁷, 58.5 per cent of which comprised macrophages, which had become the principle cell type by day 5. The incorporation of proline and glucosamine into the PEC increased significantly peaking on day 7 then decreasing to the control value by day 21. Proline incorporation into the PTRC increased significantly, reaching a peak value on day 5, which decreased by day 10. Glucosamine incorporation reached a peak value on day 7 then decreased by day 10. In conclusion, the increase in glucosamine and proline incorporation into the PTRC paralles the increase in PEC, comprised principally of macrophages. These findings suggest that analysis of the metabolic activities in peritoneal activated macrophages may provide a useful tool to dissect the central mediation of postsurgical peritoneal re-epithelialization.