Open AccessBiofilms and delayed healing – an in vitro evaluation of silver‐ and iodine‐containing dressings and their effect on bacterial and human cells
Author(s) -
Bourdillon Katie A,
Delury Craig P,
Cullen Breda M
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/iwj.12761
Subject(s) - proteases , biofilm , pseudomonas aeruginosa , bioburden , microbiology and biotechnology , wound healing , antimicrobial , in vitro , matrix (chemical analysis) , bacteria , fibroblast , medicine , chemistry , biology , enzyme , biochemistry , surgery , chromatography , genetics
This study investigated whether there are differences in the ability of wound dressings to modulate certain factors known to affect wound healing. A selection of antimicrobial dressings ( AQUACEL ® Ag Extra ™ , AQUACEL ® Ag+ Extra ™ , IODOFLEX ™ , ACTICOAT ™ 7 and PROMOGRAN PRISMA ™ matrix) were tested for their effect on both bacterial bioburden and human dermal fibroblasts. Some dressings underwent further evaluation for activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms using a colony‐drip flow reactor model. The ability of in vitro biofilms to produce proteases, and the effect of PROMOGRAN PRISMA matrix on such proteases, was also investigated. All antimicrobial dressings tested reduced vegetative bacterial load; however, only PROMOGRAN PRISMA matrix was able to significantly reduce biofilm populations ( P = 0·01). Additionally, PROMOGRAN PRISMA matrix was the only dressing that did not inhibit dermal fibroblast growth. All other dressings were detrimental to cell viability. In vitro biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were demonstrated as being capable of releasing bacterial proteases into their surroundings, and incubation with PROMOGRAN PRISMA matrix led to a 77% reduction in activity of such proteases ( P = 0·002). The unique ability of PROMOGRAN PRISMA matrix to reduce in vitro vegetative bacteria, biofilm bacteria and bacterial proteases while still allowing dermal fibroblast proliferation may help rebalance the wound environment and reduce the occurrence of infection.