Study of a new biodegradable hernia patch to repair abdominal wall defect in rats

A novel biodegradable chitin hernia patch was prepared by acetylation of chitosan fabric in our study. Physicochemical properties, cell compatibility and biodegradability of the chitin patch were quantified. Histopathological study of the functional experiment showed that this newly designed hernia patch promoted collagen deposition and neovascularization by significantly promoting the secretion of FGF1 and TGF-β1 in the early postoperative (P < 0.01). Chitin patch caused less inflammation by inhibiting excessive expression of IL-6 and TNF-α when compared to the polypropylene mesh (P < 0.01). Acceptable fibrosis was consistent with the results of immunohistochemistry studies. The density of FGF1 and TGF-β1 positive cells in the chitin patch group at 7 d was reduced to a lower level at 15 d (P < 0.01). With regeneration of the defect abdominal wall, chitin patch degraded gradually, avoiding foreign body response and chronic complications. Our studies demonstrated that the newly designed chitin patch showed good promise for the hernia treatment.