Efficacy of silver coated surgical sutures on bacterial contamination, cellular response and wound healing.
The resistance demonstrated by many microorganisms towards conventional antibiotics has stimulated the interest in alternative antimicrobial agents and in novel approaches for prevention of infections. Silver, a natural braod-spectrum antimicrobial agent known since antiquity, has been widely employed in biomedical field due to its recognized antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. In this work, antibacterial silver coatings were deposited on absorbable surgical sutures through the in situ photo-chemical deposition of silver clusters. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed in order to investigate the presence and distribution of the silver clusters on the substrate. The amounts of silver deposited and released by the silver treated sutures were calculated through Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS), and the results were related to the biodegradation of the material. The microbiological properties and the potential cytotoxicity of the silver-treated sutures were investigated in relation with hydrolysis experiments, in order to determine the effect of the degradation on antibacterial properties and biocompatibility.
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Anna Lucia
AL
Gallo
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: federica.paladini@unisalento.it.
Federica
F
Paladini
Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology and Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Romano
Di.S.Te.B.A., University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Tiziano
T
Verri
Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology and Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Angelo
A
Quattrini
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Sannino
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Mauro
M
Pollini
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004058:Diffusion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012834:Silver / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013537:Sutures / Q000382:microbiology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D012834:Silver
Biodegradation; Cytotoxicity; Infection; Silver; Suture