Electrospun Matrices for Pelvic Floor Repair: Effect of Fiber Diameter on Mechanical Properties and Cell Behavior

Electrospun matrices are proposed as an alternative for polypropylene meshes in reconstructive pelvic surgery. Here, we investigated the effect of fiber diameter on (1) the mechanical properties of electrospun poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-blended-poly(caprolactone) (PLGA/PCL) matrices; (2) cellular infiltration; and (3) the newly formed extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro. We compared electrospun matrices with 1- and 8 μm fiber diameter and used nonporous PLGA/PCL films as controls. The 8-μm matrices were almost twice as stiff as the 1-μm matrices with 1.38 and 0.66 MPa, respectively. Matrices had the same ultimate tensile strength, but with 80% the 1-μm matrices were much more ductile than the 8-μm ones (18%). Cells infiltrated deeper into the matrices with larger pores, but cellular activity was comparable on both substrates. New ECM was deposited faster on the electrospun samples, but after 2 and 4 weeks the amount of collagen was comparable with that on nonporous films. The ECM deposited on the 1-μm matrices, and the nonporous film was about three times stiffer than the ECM found on the 8-μm matrices. Cell behavior in terms of myofibroblastic differentiation and remodeling was similar on the 1-μm matrices and nonporous films, in comparison to that on the 8-μm matrices. We conclude that electrospinning enhances the integration of host cells as compared with a nonporous film of the same material. The 1-μm matrices result in better mechanical behavior and qualitatively better matrix production than the 8-μm matrices, but with limited cellular infiltration. These data are useful for designing electrospun matrices for the pelvic floor.