ABSTRACT
A new type of implantable drug eluting device is presented, consisting of a bed of mesoporous microparticles packed inside a reservoir with a porous wall. This provides two sets of variables for drug release control that can be tailored independently. The first is related to the microparticles (packing density, size and pore structure) and the second to the reservoir (pore diameter and thickness of the wall, permeation area). In this work the concept is developed into a working model, used to fight bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus) growth by releasing linezolid that had previously been adsorbed on silica microparticles. These particles were placed inside the hollow interior of a porous medical grade stainless steel pin mimicking those used in traumatology and in orthopedic surgery. The mechanical behavior of the porous drug-eluting pin was tested and found satisfactory.
Subject(s)
Acetamides/administration & dosage , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Oxazolidinones/administration & dosage , Silicon Dioxide/chemistry , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Acetamides/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Delayed-Action Preparations , Drug Implants , Linezolid , Microspheres , Oxazolidinones/pharmacology , Particle Size , Porosity , Staphylococcal Infections/drug therapyABSTRACT
We show that Ag-containing zeolites are highly effective against Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacteria even at low Ag loadings and in the presence of high (10(9) CFU per mL) bacterial concentrations. At short contact times the bactericidal efficiency correlates strongly with Ag(+) release. At longer times data dispersion is higher, probably as a consequence of bacterial metabolism.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Silver/chemistry , Zeolites/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effectsABSTRACT
Compared with our knowledge of senescence in annuals and biennials, little is known about age-related changes in perennials. To get new insights into the mechanisms underlying aging in perennials, we measured oxidative stress markers in leaves and organelles, together with abscisic acid levels in leaves of 2- and 7-year-old Cistus clusii dunal plants grown under Mediterranean field conditions. Recently emerged leaves, which either appeared during autumn or spring, were compared to evaluate the effects of environmental constraints on oxidative stress and abscisic acid accumulation as plants aged. Plant aging led to an enhanced oxidation of ot-tocopherol and ascorbate, increased lipid peroxidation and reduced PSII efficiency in leaves during the more stressful conditions of spring and summer, but not during autumn. Analyses of lipid peroxidation in organelles isolated from the same leaves revealed that oxidative stress occurred both in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Although both plant groups showed similar leaf water and nitrogen contents throughout the study, abscisic acid levels were markedly higher (up to 75%) in 7-year-old plants compared to 2-year-old plants throughout the study. It is concluded that (a) meristematic tissues of C. clusii maintain the capacity to make new leaves with no symptoms of oxidative stress for several years, unless these leaves are exposed to environmental constraints, (b) leaves of oldest plants show higher oxidative stress than those of young plants when exposed to adverse climatic conditions, thus supporting the idea that the oxidative stress associated with aging is due at least partly to extrinsic factors, (c) at the subcellular level, age-induced oxidative stress occurs both in chloroplasts and mitochondria, and (d) even in the absence of environmental stress, newly emerged leaves accumulate higher amounts of ABA as plants age.
