title: Vascular graft infections: in vitro and in vivo investigations of a new vascular graft with long-term protection.
abstract: We investigated a polyester vascular prosthesis (PET) coated with elemental silver (SC). Measurement of silver release over a period of 52 weeks by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry of PET with (PET-G) and without (PET-N) gelatine impregnation revealed a silver release on the first day of 1.2 +/- 0.2 microg (PET-N) and 1.2 +/- 0.1 microg (PET-G) (calculated for 1 g of prosthesis); from the 90th day onward, it was between 0.22 +/- 0.14 microg (PET-N) and 0.18 +/- 0.12 microg (PET-G) per day. The prostheses were incubated with Staphylococcus aureus (S.a.), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S.e.), or Escherichia coli (E.c.) to investigate in vitro antibacterial efficacy. After 6 h of incubation, no colony-forming units were to be seen for any of the bacterial suspensions for PET with SC (p < 0.001). To investigate in vivo antibacterial efficacy, PET-G rings with and without SC contaminated with S.a., S.e., or E.c. were implanted in 18 albino rabbits and examined 7 days after agar culture for 48 h. The silver coating was associated with a significant reduction in bacterial growth (S.a., p = 0.001; S.e., p < 0.005; E.c., p < 0.001). The silver-coated prosthesis, with and without gelatine impregnation, had a significantly antibacterial effect with continuous release of silver.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller University, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Jena, Germany. torsten.ueberrueck@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueberrueck
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zippel
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tautenhahn
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gastinger
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lippert
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wahlers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001705:Bioprosthesis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D011817:Rabbits; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011091:Polyesters; D012834:Silver; D005780:Gelatin