In this study, porous polylactide(PLA) microspheres with different structures were prepared through the multiple emulsion solvent evaporation method. By changing organic solvents(ethyl acetate and chloroform) and adding effervescent salt NH4 HCO3 in the inner water phase, microspheres with porous capsular, matrix, microcapsular and multivesicular structures were prepared. The protein encapsulation and release, and the cell growth behavior of porous microspheres were further explored. Under the same inner water phase, microspheres prepared with chloroform had higher protein encapsulation efficiency and less protein release rate as compared with those prepared with ethyl acetate. Cell experiments showed that the relatively rough surface of microspheres prepared with chloroform was more favorable for the cell growth in comparison with the smooth surface of microspheres prepared with ethyl acetate. This study shows a simple and effective method to control the protein release and cell growth behaviors of polymer microspheres by tuning their porous structure.
