Effects of Pharmaceutical Preparations on the Rate of Degradation of Poly(Lactide-Co-Glycolide) Scaffolds

Abstract

The effects of acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, 6-methyluracil, and chondroitin sulfate impregnated in poly-(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds of different chemical compositions and molecular weights using supercritical carbon dioxide on the processes of scaffold degradation in phosphate-buffered saline pH 7.4 were studied and the rate constants of these processes were determined. Incorporation of acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds was found to produce significant increases in the rate of hydrolysis of the polymer base, while the presence of methyluracil and chondroitin sulfate had virtually no effect.