In vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo acute responses to some amino acid copolymers and their esters

The present study was performed in order to establish if there is any correspondence between specific parameters of tissue reaction to implanted biomedical materials and in vitro cytotoxicity. The presence of various types of inflammatory cells and/or necrosis in rats implanted subcutaneously with a series of 42 alpha-amino acid copolymers and their esters was compared with their in vitro toxic effects, as determined by an agar overlay technique. Only necrosis appeared to correlate with reactions scored as strongly positive by tissue culture procedures. Future studies with slightly toxic materials should assess if tissue culture methods could be helpful in predicting other levels of reaction at the polymer-tissue interface.