D,L-polylactide degradation in biological media: experiment and model

The processes of changes in the surface morphology and internal structure, as well as the molecular mass distribution of amorphous D, L polylactides during their hydrolytic degradation in the presence of extra-germinal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (ratschwart jelly umbilical cord) of the rat and their metabolic products have been studied. It was shown that the degradation of initially monolithic polymer samples in culture and conditioned media occurs almost identically. However, in a culture medium containing MSCs, this process is much more intense. This effect can be interpreted in terms of the influence of enzymes secreted by living cells, which diffuse from the surface into the polymer sample and accelerate its hydrolysis, entering into a catalytic reaction with the ether bonds of polylactide molecules. A mathematical model has been developed and verified that takes into account both non-catalytic and catalytic channels of hydrolysis, changes in the porosity of the polymer sample, diffusion of short-length oligomers, and adequately interprets the experimental results.