original article Eur Surg DOI 10.1007/s10353-017-0478-9 Effects of teduglutide on histological parameters of intestinal anastomotic healing Beatriz P. Costa · Maria A. Cipriano · Ana C. Gonçalves · Ana M. Abrantes · Paulo Matafome · Raquel Seiça · Ana B. Sarmento-Ribeiro · M. Filomena Botelho · Francisco Castro-Sousa Received: 7 December 2016 / Accepted: 25 March 2017 © Springer-Verlag Wien 2017 Summary Background Intestinal anastomotic failure contin- ues to be one of the most relevant surgical inci- dents. Teduglutide is an enterotrophic long-acting equivalent of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) recom- mended for the treatment of adult patients with short bowel syndrome. This study evaluates the effects of short-term teduglutide administration on histological parameters of intestinal anastomotic healing in an animal model. Authors’ contributions Study conception and design: B. Costa; acquisition of data: B. Costa, M. A. Cipriano, A. C. Gonçalves, A. M. Abrantes, P. Matafome; analysis and interpretation of data: B. Costa; drafting of manuscript: B. Costa; critical review: M. A. Cipriano, R. Seiça, A. B. Sarmento-Ribeiro, M. F. Botelho, F. Castro Sousa Original communication This manuscript represents original research that has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere. The research leading to the results presented in this article was performed without external funding. B. P. Costa () · F. Castro-Sousa Department of Surgery A, Coimbra University Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Praceta Mota Pinto, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal beatrizpcosta@huc.min-saude.pt B. P. Costa · F. Castro-Sousa University Clinic of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal M. A. Cipriano Department of Pathology, Coimbra University Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal Methods Wistar rats (n = 31) were submitted to ileal resection and standard anastomosis, with or without postoperative teduglutide ministration, and sacri- ficed at the third or seventh day with tissue and blood sampling. Intestinal anastomotic healing was assessed with the modified Houdart–Hutschenreiter classification after hematoxylin and eosin staining. Collagen content and distribution were evaluated with the Gordon and Sweet technique; neoangiogen- esis and epithelial proliferation indexes with anti- CD31 and anti-Ki67 immunostaining, respectively. A. C. Gonçalves · A. B. Sarmento-Ribeiro Laboratory of Oncobiology and Hematology, University Clinic of Hematology and Applied Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal A. C. Gonçalves · A. M. Abrantes · P. Matafome · R. Seiça · A. B. Sarmento-Ribeiro · M. F. Botelho Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) and Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal A. C. Gonçalves · A. M. Abrantes · A. B. Sarmento-Ribeiro · M. F. Botelho Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal A. M. Abrantes · M. F. Botelho Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal P. Matafome · R. Seiça Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal A. B. Sarmento-Ribeiro Department of Clinical Hematology, Coimbra University Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal K Effects of teduglutide on histological parameters of intestinal anastomotic healing