Background Carbon dioxide （CO2） laser soldering is an alternative technique for tissue bonding.Basic fibroblast growth factor （bFGF） and transforming growth factor β1 （TGFβ1） are two key factors for wound healing.This study was performed to demonstrate the efficacy of CO2 laser soldering for dural reconstruction and the effect of bFGF and TGFβ1 on healing.Methods In Part Ⅰ,10 minipigs were randomized into two equal groups.Dural defects were reconstructed by conventional fibrin glue bonding （group Ⅰa） or CO2 laser soldering （group Ⅰb）.The reconstructed dura was subjected to burst pressure （BP） measurement and immunohistochemical staining after 1 week.In Part Ⅱ,36 minipigs were randomized into three equal groups.Dural reconstruction was achieved by CO2 laser soldering.Exogenous bFGF （group Ⅱb） or TGFβ1 （group Ⅱc） was administered while group Ⅱa served as a control group.The specimens were subjected to BP measurement after 1,2,3,and 4 weeks,respectively.Results In Part Ⅰ,the dura specimens displayed positive staining of only bFGF in group la and of both bFGF and TGFβ1 in group lb.Group Ⅰb showed higher BP than group la （（98.00-±21.41） mmHg vs.（70.80±15.09） mmHg,respectively; P 〈0.05）.In Part Ⅱ,BP of group Ⅱc was significantly higher than that of group Ⅱla （P 〈0.01）.The BP of group Ⅱa trended toward stabilization after 3 weeks of growth,while that of groups lⅡb and Ⅱc trended toward stabilization after 2 weeks of growth.Conclusions CO2 laser soldering is a reliable technique for dural reconstruction.The superior healing of dural reconstruction by CO2 laser soldering may be related to higher expression of bFGF and TGFβ1,and CO2 lasers may stimulate their secretion.Exogenous bFGF or TGFβ1 may improve healing by shortening the wound healing time,and exogenous TGFβ1 may improve the tensile strength.
