Effects of Different Materials of Hernia Repair Mesh on Inflammatory Factors and Reproductive Function in Rats with Inguinal Hernia

Zheke Yu¹, Jingjing Wang², Zhenming Qiu¹, Yonghua Zheng¹, Xiaolong Xie¹, Zhengzheng Zhao^{1, *}

¹General surgery, Taizhou Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou Hospital, 150 Ximen Street, Gucheng Street, Linhai, Taizhou, 317000,China - ²Respiratory department, Taizhou Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou Hospital, 150 Ximen Street, Gucheng Street, Linhai, Taizhou, 317000, China

Objective: This study sets out to explore the effects of different materials of hernia repair mesh on inflammatory factors and reproductive function in rats with inguinal hernia.

Methods: A total of 50 SD male rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (NC group), the operation control group (OC group), the heavy polypropylene mesh group (HP group), the light polypropylene mesh group (LP group), and the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene mesh group (EPM group). The SD male rats were mated with normal adult female rats in a cage at a ratio of 1:2 after 4 weeks of administration. After 2 weeks of mating, 2ml blood was collected from the ear vein of all male rats, who were then executed to take the testicular tissue, and calculate the testicular body mass index and volume. In addition, colorimetry was employed to detect serum MDA and testicular tissue GSH, and ELISA was applied to determine serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Besides, epididymal sperm activity was measured and the adhesion of mesh and tissue was observed. Female rats were executed on the 20th day of gestation. Testicular body mass index, testicular volume and reproduction did not differ significantly among the 5 groups. The LP group presented markedly higher expressions of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 than the HP group and EPM group, and displayed significantly higher expressions of SOD and GSH than the HP group and EPM group.

Results: The sperm activity in the EPM group was significantly higher than that in the LP group and HP group, while the adhesion degree was significantly lower than these two groups.Hernia repair mesh does not affect testicular volume index, testicular volume and reproductive capacity in inguinal hernia model rats, but may aggravate oxidative stress and inflammation reaction in rats, weaken their reproductive ability.

Conclusion: Among them, LP has the least oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction, and EPM has the strongest sperm motility and the weakest adhesion to tissues.