We have explored the effect of low-temperature barrier discharge plasma treatment in oxygen, nitrogen, and argon on modification of the physicochemical properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based scaffolds. The cellular-mediated immune response to the interaction of macrophages of three donors with the modified surface of PLA-based scaffolds was also investigated. Carbonization of the PLA surface accompanied by a carbon atomic concentration increase is shown to occur following plasma treatment. Argon plasma significantly affects the wettability characteristics of PLA; the hydrophilicity and lipophilicity are improved, and the surface energy is increased. The viability of cells in the presence of plasma-modified PLA scaffolds is lower than that for unmodified PLA but remains greater than that for the negative control. We find that PLA scaffolds do not cause increased expression of the proinflammatory (TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β) cytokines after 6 days of cell cultivation. At the same time, PLA scaffolds do not affect the increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10).
Keywords: barrier discharge; cell viability; chemical compound; cytotoxicity; free surface energy; low-temperature plasma; macrophage activation; polylactic acid; wettability.