Toxicity test of biodegradable polymers by implantation in rabbit cornea

To evaluate whether or not the corneal micropocket implantation is effective for determining the toxicity of polymeric materials, currently used biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), LA-GA copolymers, and three kinds of poly(2-cyano-acrylate)s (PCA) were implanted in a rabbit corneal pouch and the tissue responses were observed macroscopically and microscopically. It was found that PLA induced no vascularization, whereas a residual solvent and ethylene oxide gas remaining in the PLA matrix invoked vascularization. Vascularization clearly took place when PGA was implanted in the cornea, which became opaque, probably because of cellular infiltration. In the case of PCA implantation, severe inflammation as well as vascular invasion occurred in the initial stage. It is likely that these tissue reactions were caused by the leachables from the implanted materials, the extent being dependent on the leaching rate and the toxicity. It was concluded that the corneal micropocket assay is a good means to detect trace amounts of leachables from implanted materials without sacrificing the animals with the implanted materials.