Analysis of Healing Effect of Alginate Sulfate Hydrogel Dressing Containing Antimicrobial Peptide on Wound Infection Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
BACKGROUND
Wound infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are a health problem worldwide; therefore, it is necessary to develop new antimicrobial compounds. Considering broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and low probability of drug resistance to peptides, applications these peptides are being studied extensively.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, to control drug release over time, an alginate sulfate-based hydrogel impregnated with the CM11 peptide as the antimicrobial agent was developed, and its healing effects were tested on skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains in a mouse model.


METHODS
Minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of the CM11 peptide and alginate hydrogel in combination with the peptide were determined. Forty mice were divided into 4 groups: 1 group as a negative control (without treatment; however, 5 mice received hydrogel dressing without peptide), 1 group as a positive control (2% mupirocin treatment), and 2 groups as test groups. To establish skin infection, 200 μL of bacterial suspension with 3 × 10(8) CFU/mL concentration was subcutaneously injected in the scapular region of the mice. On the basis of the in vitro minimal bactericidal concentration of the alginate hydrogel containing peptide for 15 clinical isolates, hydrogel containing 128 mg/L of peptide was used for wound dressing over an 8-day period.


RESULTS
The highest and lowest numbers of wounds were observed on day 2 in the negative and positive control groups, respectively. During the 8-day period, the positive control and hydrogel containing peptide treatment groups showed similar levels of wound healing.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that compared to standard drug treatment, treatment with hydrogel containing peptide had substantial antibacterial effects on S. aureus wound infections in mice.
Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Hamid
H
Babavalian
Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Ali Mohammad
AM
Latifi
National Cell Bank of Iran, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mohammad Ali
MA
Shokrgozar
National Cell Bank of Iran, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, IR Iran.
Shahin
S
Bonakdar
National Cell Bank of Iran, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, IR Iran.
Sajjad
S
Mohammadi
Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mehrdad
M
Moosazadeh Moghaddam
Alginate; Antibacterial Peptide; Hydrogel; Staphylococcus aureus; Wound Infection