Use of rainbow trout skin treated with glutaraldehyde as a mesh for abdominal hernioplasty in rats

TL;DR

This study tested rainbow trout skin treated with glutaraldehyde as a surgical mesh in rats, showing it to be a viable and well-tolerated option for abdominal hernioplasty.

Contribution

The study introduces rainbow trout skin as a novel, biocompatible surgical mesh material for abdominal wall repair in rats.

Findings

The trout skin mesh remained intact and functional for up to 90 days post-implantation.

Inflammatory responses decreased over time, with fibrosis and collagen infiltration observed by day 90.

The mesh supported abdominal wall integrity and normal rat mobility without significant complications.

Abstract

To test the use of rainbow trout skin as a surgical mesh in abdominal hernioplasties in rats.

The experiment involved 20 Wistar rats receiving implants of trout skin processed for disinfection in 0.5% glutaraldehyde and preserved in 100% glycerin. The animals were divided into four groups, divided at 7, 15, 30, and 90 days postoperatively. Clinical and infrared thermography evaluations were performed, and after euthanasia, assessments of adhesion formations and sample collection for histological evaluation were conducted.

The implant was observed to be intact, ensuring the integrity of the abdominal wall, support for the viscera, and normal mobility for the rats for up to 90 days. Low rates of clinical alterations were observed, with an intense inflammatory reaction up to day 7, chronic inflammation and the onset of angiogenesis at day 15, and a low inflammatory reaction with collagenous infiltrate and fibrosis at day 30. At day 90, the implants showed a collagenous and fibrotic infiltrate with a minimal inflammatory infiltrate.

The surgical mesh of trout skin performed well, making it a potential alternative for surgical procedures in muscle aponeurotic corrections in the abdominal wall.

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