Heterologous Bovine Tunica Albuginea Graft Conserved in Honey as Abdominal Wall Reinforcement in Rats

Complex abdominal wall defects might be challenging for human and veterinary surgeons worldwide. Defects from trauma or congenital causes may lead to hernias development. The introduction of meshes to reinforce hernia repairs has improved surgical outcomes and several synthetic and biologic materials have been used. In this context, biomaterial prosthesis seems to be a satisfactory solution when managing great abdominal wall defects. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the bovine tunica albuginea (BTA) preserved in honey as graft material for rats’ abdominal wall reinforcement in incisional herniorrhaphy surgery as well as its viability, cicatrization and integration into the host tissue. Wistar rats were assigned to two main groups: 1) animals (n = 20) underwent median longitudinal laparotomy followed by laparorraphy with suture of the bovine tunica albuginea (BTA) graft as abdominal wall reinforcement; and 2) animals (n = 20) underwent only laparotomy and subsequent laparorrhaphy. Rats were clinically evaluated until euthanasia at post-surgical day 7, 14, 21 and 28. Necropsy and histopathological analysis of abdominal wall fragments were performed to compare groups and subgroups findings. BTA promoted abundant fibrosis, providing resistance and low postoperative complication rates. Besides, animals did not show rejection signs to the implant. In conclusion, BTA preserved in honey is an affordable, easy collection and handling biomaterial for graft, demanding simple surgical implantation technique for abdominal wall repair in rats.