title: Colonization by human fibroblasts of polypropylene prosthesis in a composite form for hernia repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abdominal wall hernia is one of the commonest surgical disorders worldwide, and there is no single gold-standard operative technique to repair it. In an effort to improve techniques and technologies to reinforce hernia repair, synthetic meshes are employed. In this study, a new prosthesis (named composite) formed of two polypropylene layers, one macroporous (named mesh) and one transparent (named film), was examined to evaluate its capability to enable cell proliferation without inducing cell death. Inflammatory processes were also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human fibroblasts BJ were seeded on multiwells, on which composite or film had been placed. After 7, 14, and 21 days, cell growth and viability, deposition of collagen, and release of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The "in vitro" protocol showed the composite to be colonized by human fibroblasts on the polypropylene macroporous mesh side; no cell growth occurred on the film. The slowdown of cell growth observed between 14 and 21 days was accompanied by an increase in type I collagen deposition and marked fibroblast activity. Inflammatory cytokines initially increased, followed by their reduction beginning at 14 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new prosthesis comprising two polypropylene layers of differing morphologies can be colonized by fibroblasts on the side facing the abdominal wall, whereas no cell growth occurs on the side facing the viscera. The transient inflammation, observed at early experimental times, is probably important for the healing process.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina ed Oncologia Sperimentale, Università di Torino, Corso Raffello 30, 10125, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Canuto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saracino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oraldi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muzio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011126:Polypropylenes; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D016207:Cytokines; D011126:Polypropylenes