Toxicity of Polylactic Acid Polymer in the Treatment of Paranasal Sinusitis

ABSTRACT

The authors, after inducing acute sinusitis in rabbits, compared cases where we opened the natural ostium and a general dose of administered antibiotics and cases where we opened the natural ostium and locally administered dose of antibiotics using polymer, and found that the application of local antibiotics using polymer is the superior of the two in treating sinusitis. To be able to develop a treatment for sinusitis using antibiotics incorporating polymer, we first need to examine the toxicity of polymer. The purpose of this study was to examine the toxicity of polymer through a general toxicity test as well as a special toxicity test in experiments using animals. As a result of this study, we discovered that poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) polymer works as an intraperitoneal foreign body and causes adhesion of viscera, but nethier acute nor subacute toxicity of PLA polymer was detected, and no negative effect on reproductive function was observed. It was also observed to induce neither immune reaction such as hypersensitivity nor local toxicity to the maxillary sinus mucosa of rabbit. We conclude that the results of this study can provide basic information for developing antibiotics-incorporating PLA polymer for the treatment of sinusitis and for clinical experiments involving such antibiotics.