Impregnation of polypropilen graft with gold-palladium decreases staphylococcal graft infection in vivo and in vitro

Abstract number: 1134_04_101

Saygun O., Agalar C., Aydinuraz K., Ceken S., Akkus A., Daphan C., Agalar F.

Objective:  

To evaluate the local anti staphylococcal activity of gold and gold-palladium in an established in vitro and in vivo model.

Method:  

In vitro: Naive, gold and gold-palladium coated polypropilen grafts of 2 × 1 cm² were incubated in physiologic saline buffered, 0.5 McFarland slime positive S. epidermidis. At intervals of 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours grafts were washed with saline and vortexed for two minutes in 2 ml of physiologic saline. 100 m litres of samples of vortexed material were incubated in blood agar. 24 hours later colony numbers were assessed. In vivo: Naïve polypropylene, gold coated and gold and palladium coated grafts were incubated with slime positive S. epidermidis. 24 hours later grafts were inserted subfascially to the groins of Wistar rats under general anesthesia. 8 days after inoculation of grafts, rats were killed and macroscopic and microbiologic examinations were performed.

Results:  

In vitro: The least bacterial growth was detected in the samples obtained from gold-palladium coated grafts, where as the highest rate of growth was found in samples of naive grafts. In vivo: 8 days after inoculation, in naive polypropylene group, all groin incisions were infected with staphylococcus. The graft infection rate was 100%. This finding was shown by microbiologic cultures and macroscopic examination of the wounds. No mortality occurred in this group. In palladium- gold impregnated group wound infection rate was 0%, where as this figure was 30% for gold plated group.

Conclusion:  

Impregnation of polypropylene graft with gold-palladium reduces the wound infection rate in vivo and in vitro.