Total RNA-isolation of abdominal hernia of rats for quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR assays

Increasing complications in incisional hernia surgery call for novel treatments. A gene expression analysis of injured tissues displays important parameters for tissue regeneration. Until today, no reliable method has been described for a quantitative gene expression analysis of hernia tissues. In this work, a protocol is described for the isolation of DNA-free total RNA of incisional hernias for the first time. Moreover, real-time RT PCR assays for collagen type I and III and TGF-beta1 are demonstrated for relative gene expression analyses. Both methods enable relative gene expression analyses of hernia tissues for the first time.