ObjectiveTo study the long-term prevention effect of self-developed chitosan electrospun membrane on cerebrospinal fluid leakage. MethodsTwenty-five healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were selected to prepare the bilateral dural defect (0.8 cm×0.8 cm in size) via midline incision of head.Defect of the right was repaired with chitosan electrospun membrane as the experimental group; defect of the left was not repaired as the control group.At 2-16 weeks after operation,one rabbit was sacrificed for the general observation of inflammatory response surrounding bone window and absorption of chitosan electrospun membrane; at 3 and 6 weeks after operation,5 rabbits were sacrificed for sampling to observe histological change and collagen expression by HE and Masson staining,and to measure the expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) by immunohistochemical staining. ResultsNo inflammatory reaction of swelling,exudation,and sppuration appeared in the skin and subcutaneous tissue after operation in 2 groups.There was no adhesion around the chitosan electrospun membrane,and new fiber membrane formed under the chitosan electrospun membrane in the experimental group; no cerebrospinal fluid leakage happened; the chitosan electrospun membrane was gradually degraded with time,and was completely absorbed at 16 weeks.There was uneven scar around the dural detect in control group.Histological observation showed less inflammatory cell infiltration in the experimental group,showing significant difference in the number of inflammatory cells compared with control group at 3,6 weeks (P<0.05); capillary,granulation tissue and collagen fiber massively proliferated; collagen fiber arranged in line,and there was a clear borderline between chitosan electrospun membrane and adjacent collagen fiber.The immunohistochemical staining showed that there were high expressions of bFGF and EGFR in the experimental group,and low expressions of bFGF and EGFR in the control group. ConclusionChitosan electrospun membrane for dural defect of rabbit can effectively reconstruct the dura,and it has exact long-term prevention effect on cerebrospinal fluid leakage.