Haemostatic role and histopathological effects of a new haemostatic agent in a rat bladder haemorrhage model: an experimental trial

OBJECTIVE To investigate the haemostatic efficacy and histopathological effects of a new haemostatic agent, Ankaferd BloodStopper® (ABS; Ankaferd Drug Cosmetic Co., Istanbul, Turkey) in a rat bladder haemorrhage model. ABS is a unique combination of five plant extracts that has been used in Turkish traditional medicine as a haemostatic agent for external traumatic bleeds. MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 20 male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two equal groups. In both groups, the mucosa was damaged on the posterior wall (PW) of the bladder. The liquid form of ABS was applied to the bleeding area of one group (group 1) and 0.9% NaCl to the bleeding area of the other group (group 2, controls). The solutions were applied drop by drop with a 2 mL injector until the bleeding stopped and the bleeding times recorded. For histopathological examination, two tissue samples were taken from all rats in each group; one from the damaged mucosa in the PW and one from undamaged mucosa in the lateral wall (LW). Two sections were prepared from all samples. One section was stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and the rest was used for immunohistochemical staining for fibronectin. RESULTS The mean bleeding times were 65 s and 147 s for groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.001). In the pathological specimens stained with H&E, fibrosis and other studied pathological features were similar in the LW samples in groups 1 and 2. Similarly, there were no differences between the PW samples of groups 1 and 2. In the pathological specimens stained for fibronectin, the number of attenuated cells was similar in the LWs of group 1 and 2 (P = 0.21) as well as in the PWs of each group (P = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS ABS decreased bleeding time and did not increase fibrotic reactions in rat bladder tissue.