Abstract
Bioactive glass F18 (BGF18), a glass containing SiO2–Na2O–K2O–MgO–CaO–P2O5, is highly effective as an osseointegration buster agent when applied as a coating in titanium implants. Biocompatibility tests using this biomaterial exhibited positive results; however, its antimicrobial activity is still under investigation. In this study we evaluated biofilm formation and expression of virulence-factor-related genes in Candida albicans, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown on surfaces of titanium and titanium coated with BGF18. C. albicans, S. epidermidis, and P. aeruginosa biofilms were grown on specimens for 8, 24, and 48 h. After each interval, the pH was measured and the colony-forming units were counted for the biofilm recovery rates. In parallel, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions were carried out to verify the expression of virulence-factor-related genes. Our results showed that pH changes of the culture in contact with the bioactive glass were merely observed. Reduction in biofilm formation was not observed at any of the studied time. However, changes in the expression level of genes related to virulence factors were observed after 8 and 48 h of culture in BGF18. BGF18 coating did not have a clear inhibitory effect on biofilm growth but promoted the modulation of virulence factors.
Highlights
Medical-device-associated infections are mainly caused by microorganisms that are able to self-organize as a biofilm community
Concerning the biofilm recovery on titanium and Bioactive glass F18 (BGF18) specimens, there were no statistical differences on the antibiofilm activity of the coatings after 8, 24, and 48 h of culture
BGF18 in the planktonic stage, our observations demonstrated that the biomaterial did not have a clear inhibitory effect on C. albicans, S. epidermidis, and P. aeruginosa biofilm growth
Summary
Medical-device-associated infections are mainly caused by microorganisms that are able to self-organize as a biofilm community. The formation of a biofilm is a dynamic process that allows free-living planktonic bacteria to benefit from protection and resistance to drugs and host immune attacks. Many clinical challenges to treat biofilm-associated infections have been reported, such as manifestation of few symptoms or signs and the presence of resistant microorganisms, which can persist in a slow-growing or even intracellular state [2]. Biofilm-associated infection is a common cause of implant failure in dentistry and orthopedics [3]. Some approaches have been proposed in order to control biofilm formation on implants, such as modifying surface topography [4,5,6], surface coating [7], and controlled release of ions and drugs [8]. Lin et al and Saeed et al pointed out that materials that carry both antibiofilm and osteogenic capacity are favorable for orthopedic applications; this research field is relatively new, and suitable materials are not widely available [9,10]
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