Pitt C G, Gratzl M M, Kimmel G L, Surles J, Schindler A
Biomaterials. 1981 Oct;2(4):215-20. doi: 10.1016/0142-9612(81)90060-0.
The mechanisms of biodegradation of poly (DL-lactide), poly (epsilon-caprolactone), and copolymers of epsilon-caprolactone with DL-dilactide, delta-valerolactone, and DL-epsilon-decalactone in rabbit were shown to be qualitatively similar. However, the rate of the first stage of the degradation process, non-enzymatic random hydrolytic chain scission, varied by an order of magnitude and was dependent on morphological as well as chemical effects. Weight loss was generally not observed until the molecular weight had decreased to 15,000 or less. Poly (DL-lactide) differed from the other polyesters studied, the rate of chain scission increasing after the commencement of weight loss. The rate of weight loss was greater and the period prior to weight loss was shorter when the comonomer content of copolymers of epsilon-caprolactone was sufficient to reduce the melting point of epsilon-caproate sequences to body temperature.
聚（DL-丙交酯）、聚（ε-己内酯）以及ε-己内酯与DL-丙交酯、δ-戊内酯和DL-ε-癸内酯的共聚物在兔体内的生物降解机制在性质上是相似的。然而，降解过程第一阶段（非酶促随机水解断链）的速率相差一个数量级，并且取决于形态学以及化学效应。通常直到分子量降至15,000或更低时才观察到重量损失。聚（DL-丙交酯）与所研究的其他聚酯不同，断链速率在重量损失开始后增加。当ε-己内酯共聚物的共聚单体含量足以将ε-己酸酯序列的熔点降低至体温时，重量损失速率更大且重量损失前的时间更短。
