Cellular Interaction with PLA Biomaterial: Scanning Electron Microscopy Analysis

Polymeric biomaterials are used in tissue repair due to characteristics as biocompatibility and cell interaction. In the category of synthetic polymers, poly lactic acid (PLA) is especially used in several clinical applications. This biomaterial can be prepared in the form of dense and porous membranes, in order to characterize the interaction with Vero cells in culture, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For this purpose, dense and porous PLA membranes were previously prepared, sterilized by ultraviolet light (UV) and used as a substrate for cultivation of Vero cells, for periods of 2 h and 7 days. To observe the cell interaction with the membranes, different methodologies for processing the samples for observation by SEM were considered, and a comparative analysis of the results was performed. There was no significant difference in cell morphology comparing samples with and without osmium tetroxide, however samples that underwent drying at a critical point had better preservation of cell morphology compared to samples in chemical drying. Osmium tetroxide is not a major factor in the processing of cells for SEM, and that the type of drying is the factor that most affects cell morphology in this process. It was possible to observe cell adhesion after 2 h of culture, with morphological changes such as cytoplasmic transition to a more flat aspect being more characteristic for 7 days of culture.