title: Preparation of polylactic acid/chitin composite material and its safety evaluation by animal experiments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prepare a scaffold material with good biocompatibility and biodegradability by compounding polylactic acid (PLA) and chitin.
  
  
  METHODS
  After preparation of PLA from lactic acid, the compounding of PLA and chitin was carried out by dissolving these 2 materials in one solution for reaction. The composite material was obtained and molded after the solvent was evaporized, and the safety tests of this resultant material were conducted in guinea pigs and New Zealand rabbits, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In allergic test, the guinea pigs responded to the digestion solution of the composite material in almost the same manner as to normal saline (the latter serving as negative control), and no obvious allergic reaction was observed in the animals except those in positive control group. Pyrogenic test by injecting the digestion solution of the composite material in 6 rabbits found a raise in the body temperature less than 0.2 degrees Celsius, with the total increase (adding up the individual temperature raise) less than 1.0 degrees Celsius, to meet the accepted criteria for the pyrogenic test. In subsequent toxicity test, the rabbits showed no signs of agitation or inanimate behavior after injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PLA/chitin composite material conforms to the ISO10993-1, and can be used as a basic scaffold material in tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ji'nan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors.forename: Shan-song
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.forename: An-de
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang-ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D002686:Chitin; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide)