[Biological properties of polyoxyalkanoates in chronic experiments in vivo]

Chronic experiments on mature Wistar rats studied the biological properties of suture threads from two types of polyoxyalkanoates (POA), such as polyoxybutyrate (POB) and the copolymer of POB and polyoxyvalerate (POV) (POB/POV) as compared to the conventional surgical material (silk and catgut). The physiological and biochemical parameters that reflect the status of the animals, including their behaviour, height and development, the weight of the body and viscera, the morphology of peripheral blood, the biochemical parameters of blood, the activity of some enzymes, as well as histological findings of the viscera, and lymphoid tissue responses were assessed. POA was found to produce no negative effect on the physiological, biochemical, and functional characteristics of the animals irrespective of the duration of contact with the internal medium of the body and of the chemical composition of a material.