Antimicrobial peptide in polymethylmethacrylate bone cement as a prophylaxis of infectious complications in orthopedics–an experiment in a murine model

• Published in: Folia microbiologica Vol. 67; no. 5; pp. 785 - 791
• Main Authors: Melicherčík, Pavel, Kotaška, Karel, Jahoda, David, Landor, Ivan, Čeřovský, Václav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adhesion; Amino Acids; Animal models; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial Peptides; Applied Microbiology; Bacteria; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bone Cements; Bone implants; Bone surgery; Canals (anatomy); Cement; Complications; Disease Models, Animal; Drug resistance; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Femur; Immunology; Life Sciences; Methicillin; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mice; Microbiology; Original Article; Orthopaedic implants; Orthopedic Procedures; Orthopedics; Osteomyelitis; Peptides; Polymethyl methacrylate; Polymethyl Methacrylate - chemistry; Polymethylmethacrylate; Prophylaxis; Sonication; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus infections; Transplants & implants; Bacterial biofilm; PMMA implants; Implant-related infections; Polymethylmethacrylate bone cement; Antimicrobial peptide; Murine model
• ISSN: 0015-5632; 1874-9356
• DOI: 10.1007/s12223-022-00979-0

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement mixed with antibiotics is used in orthopedic surgery to cope with implant-related infections which are typically associated with the formation of bacterial biofilms. Taking into account the growing bacterial resistance to current antibiotics, we examined here the efficacy of a selected antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mixed into the bone cement to inhibit bacterial adhesion and the consequent biofilm formation on its surface. In particular, we followed the formation of bacterial biofilms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on implants made from PMMA bone cement loaded with AMP composed of 12 amino acid residues. This was evaluated by CFU counting of bacteria released by sonication from the biofilms formed on their surfaces after these implants were retrieved from the infected murine femoral canals. The AMP loaded in these model implants prevented adhesion of MRSA and the subsequent formation of MRSA biofilm on the surfaces of more than 80% of these implants, whereas biofilms did form on control implants made from the plain cement. The results of our experiments performed in the murine femoral canal indicate the potential for this murine osteomyelitis model to mimic actual operations in orthopedics.