Ventral hernia repair in rat using nanofibrous polylactic acid/polypropylene meshes

Aim: In the present study, we combined a nanofibrous polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold fabricated by electrospinning with a polypropylene (PP) material to generate a new type of mesh for hernia repair. Materials & methods: The PLA/PP mesh was tested with tensile testing, in vitro cytocompatibility and degradation. A total of 90 rats were randomly allocated to PLA/PP, PP and polyester (PE) mesh groups for the in vivo study to evaluate the properties of PLA/PP mesh. Results: PLA/PP mesh had superior mechanical properties. It also resulted in less inflammation adhesion formation (p < 0.05), which was related to the TGF-β1/Smad pathway. The distribution of collagen I and III in PLA/PP mesh was also superior to those in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The PLA/PP mesh would be suitable for ventral hernia repair in the future.