Bacterial Adhesion to Nanomodified Surfaces: Dynamic Flow Effects onS. aureusandP. aeruginosa

2013 ◽  
Vol 1498 ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Mary C. Machado ◽  
Keiko M. Tarquinio ◽  
Thomas J. Webster

AbstractVentilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious and costly clinical problem. Specifically, receiving mechanical ventilation over 24 hours increases the risk of VAP and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and medical costs. Cost effective endotracheal tubes (ETTs) that are resistant to bacterial infection would help to prevent this problem. The objective of this study was to determine differences in bacterial growth on nanomodified and unmodified ETTs under dynamic airway conditions. A bench top model based upon the general design of Hartmann et al. (1999) was constructed to test of the effectiveness of nanomodified ETTs under the airflow conditions present in the airway. Twenty-four hour studies performed in a dynamic flow chamber showed a marked difference in the biofilm formation on different areas of unmodified tubes. Areas where tubes were curved, such as at the entrance to the mouth and the connection between the oropharynx and the larynx, seemed to collect the largest amount of biofilm.The biofilm formation on ETTs in the airflow system after 24 hours showed a large difference depending upon where tubes were oriented within the apparatus. This illustrates the importance of dynamic flow on biofilm formation in pediatric ETTs. It is of particular interest that increased biofilm density on both unmodified and nanomodified tubes appeared to occur at curves in the tube where changes in flow pattern occurred. This emphasizes the need for more accurate models of airflow within pediatric ETTs, suggesting that not only does flow affect pressure gradients along the tube, but in fact, determines the composition of the film itself. More testing is needed to determine the effects of biofilm formation on the efficiency of ETT under airflow, however this study provides significant evidence for nanomodification alone (without the use of antibiotics) to decrease bacteria function.

2011 ◽  
Vol 1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Machado ◽  
Keiko M. Tarquinio ◽  
Thomas J. Webster

AbstractVentilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious and costly clinical problem. Specifically, receiving mechanical ventilation over 24 hours increases the risk of VAP and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and medical costs. Cost effective endotracheal tubes (ETTs) that are resistant to bacterial infection would help to prevent this problem. The objective of this study was to determine differences in bacterial growth on nanomodified and unmodified ETTs under dynamic airway conditions, a bench top model based upon the general design of Hartmann et al. (1999) was constructed to test of the effectiveness of nanomodified ETTs under the airflow conditions present in the airway. Twenty-four hour studies performed in a dynamic flow chamber showed a marked difference in the biofilm formation on different areas of unmodified tubes. Areas where tubes were curved, such as at the entrance to the mouth and the connection between the oropharynx and the larynx, seemed to collect the largest amount of biofilm. On the nanomodified tubes biofilm formation was markedly different occurring on smaller pieces.The biofilm formation on ETTs in the airflow system after 24 hours showed a large difference depending upon where tubes were oriented within the apparatus. This illustrates the importance of dynamic flow on biofilm formation in pediatric ETTs. It is of particular interest that increased biofilm density on both unmodified and nanomodified tubes appeared to occur at curves in the tube where changes in flow pattern occured. This emphasizes the need for more accurate models of airflow within pediatric ETTs, suggesting that not only does flow affect pressure gradients along the tube, but in fact, determines the composition of the film itself. More testing is needed to determine the effects of biofilm formation on the efficiency of ETT under airflow, however this study provides significant evidence for nanomodification alone (without the use of antibiotics) to decrease bacteria function.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Machado ◽  
Keiko M. Tarquinio ◽  
Thomas J. Webster

ABSTRACTVentilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious and costly clinical problem. Specifically, receiving mechanical ventilation for over 24 hours increases the risk of VAP and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and medical costs. Cost effective endotracheal tubes (ETTs) that are resistant to bacterial infection could help prevent this problem. The objective of this study was to determine differences in the growth ofStaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) on nanomodified and unmodified polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ETTs under dynamic airway conditions. PVC ETTs were modified to have nanometer surface features by soaking them inRhizopus arrhisus,a fungal lipase. Twenty-four hour experiments (supported by computational models) showed that air flow conditions within the ETT influenced both the location and concentration of bacterial growth on the ETTs especially within areas of tube curvature. More importantly, experiments revealed a 1.5 log reduction in the total number ofS. aureuson the novel nanomodified ETTs compared to the conventional ETTs after 24 hours of air flow. This dynamic study showed that lipase etching can create nano-rough surface features on PVC ETTs that suppressS. aureusgrowth and, thus, may provide clinicians with an effective and inexpensive tool to combat VAP.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1621 ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Webster

ABSTRACTVentilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious and costly clinical problem. Specifically, receiving mechanical ventilation for over 24 hours increases the risk of VAP and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and medical costs. Cost effective endotracheal tubes (ETTs) that are resistant to bacterial infection could help prevent this problem. The objective of this study was to determine differences in the growth ofStaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) on nanomodified and unmodified polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ETTs under dynamic airway conditions. PVC ETTs were modified to have nanometer surface features by soaking them inRhizopus arrhisus,a fungal lipase. Twenty-four hour experiments (supported by computational models) showed that air flow conditions within the ETT influenced both the location and concentration of bacterial growth on the ETTs especially within areas of tube curvature. More importantly, experiments revealed a 1.5 log reduction in the total number ofS. aureuson the novel nanomodified ETTs compared to the conventional ETTs after 24 hours of air flow. This dynamic study showed that lipase etching can create nano-rough surface features on PVC ETTs that suppressS. aureusgrowth and, thus, may provide clinicians with an effective and inexpensive tool to combat VAP.


Author(s):  
Stefan Schulze ◽  
Heather Schiller ◽  
Jordan Solomonic ◽  
Orkan Telhan ◽  
Kyle Costa ◽  
...  

Most microorganisms exist in biofilms, which comprise aggregates of cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix that provides protection from external stresses. Based on the conditions under which they form, biofilm structures vary in significant ways. For instance, biofilms that develop when microbes are incubated under static conditions differ from those formed when microbes encounter the shear forces of a flowing liquid. Moreover, biofilms develop dynamically over time. Here, we describe a cost-effective, 3D-printed coverslip holder that facilitates surface adhesion assays under a broad range of standing and shaking culture conditions. This multi-panel adhesion (mPAD) mount further allows cultures to be sampled at multiple time points, ensuring consistency and comparability between samples and enabling analyses of the dynamics of biofilm formation. As a proof of principle, using the mPAD mount for shaking, oxic cultures, we confirm previous flow chamber experiments showing that Pseudomonas aeruginosa wild type and a phenazine deletion mutant (Δ phz ) form biofilms with similar structure but reduced density in the mutant strain. Extending this analysis to anoxic conditions, we reveal that microcolony and biofilm formation can only be observed under shaking conditions and are decreased in the Δ phz mutant compared to wild-type cultures, indicating that phenazines are crucial for the formation of biofilms if oxygen as an electron acceptor is unavailable. Furthermore, while the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii does not require archaella for surface attachment under static conditions, we demonstrate that H. volcanii mutants that lack archaella are impaired in early stages of biofilm formation under shaking conditions. Importance: Due to the versatility of the mPAD mount, we anticipate that it will aid the analysis of biofilm formation in a broad range of bacteria and archaea. Thereby, it contributes to answering critical biological questions about the regulatory and structural components of biofilm formation and understanding this process in a wide array of environmental, biotechnological, and medical contexts.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Machado ◽  
Daniel Chang ◽  
Thomas J Webster ◽  
Keiko M Tarquinio

AbstractVentilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious and costly clinical problem. Specifically, receiving mechanical ventilation over 24 hours increases the risk of VAP and is associated with high morbidity, mortality and medical costs. This complication is especially hard to diagnose in children because of non-specific clinical signs and lack of established diagnostic methods. Cost effective endotracheal tubes (ETTs) that are resistant to bacterial infection would be essential tools for the prevention of VAP. In addition to their bacterial resistance, ETT with magnetic nanoparticles could aid in the diagnosis of VAP allowing physicians to locate infections with greater accuracy. The objective of this study was twofold, first to develop strategies to decrease bacterial adhesion on nano-rough ETT and secondly to develop better methods to assessin vitrobacterial adhesion or biofilm formation on ETT. In preliminary tests, nanomodified polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ETTs has been shown to be effective at reducing bacterial colonization. This study also sought to evaluate the bacterial resistance of these ETTs more effectively by creating a bench top airway model, which can create a similar environment to the flow system that ETTs are exposed toin vivo. The airway model designed to test ETTs has two Plexiglas chambers representing the oropharynx and the lungs, a tube representing the trachea and finally an intricate pumping system to the oropharynx with bacteria flow and to the lung with simulated compliance and resistance. ETTs were connected to a ventilator and passing the oropharynx into the trachea and observed under the mechanical ventilation and continuous bacterial flow system. In addition, the study examined dual gas flow conditions and their effect on bacterial growth of ETT. In no less than three separate trials in the airway chamber, each ETT will be tested for its effectiveness at the reduction of bacterial growth within the airway by sampling from both lung and oropharynx chambers during continuous operation. Special attention will be given to the long-term effects on the ETT by including a study that lasts longer than ten days. Both the bacterial proliferation in the two chambers and on the ETT itself will be carefully analyzed. This specialized testing should yield valuable information on the efficacy of nanomodified ETT in airway conditions and will provide further evidence to determine if nanomodified ETTs are a valid solution to VAP.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schulze ◽  
Heather Schiller ◽  
Jordan Solomonic ◽  
Orkan Telhan ◽  
Kyle Costa ◽  
...  

AbstractMost microorganisms exist in biofilms, which comprise aggregates of cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix that provides protection from external stresses. Based on the conditions under which they form, biofilm structures vary in significant ways. For instance, biofilms that develop when microbes are incubated under static conditions differ from those formed when microbes encounter the shear forces of a flowing liquid. Moreover, biofilms develop dynamically over time. Here, we describe a cost-effective, 3D-printed coverslip holder that facilitates surface adhesion assays under a broad range of standing and shaking culture conditions. This multi-panel adhesion (mPAD) mount further allows cultures to be sampled at multiple time points, ensuring consistency and comparability between samples and enabling analyses of the dynamics of biofilm formation. As a proof of principle, using the mPAD mount for shaking, oxic cultures, we confirm previous flow chamber experiments showing that Pseudomonas aeruginosa wild type and a phenazine deletion mutant (Δphz) form similar biofilms. Extending this analysis to anoxic conditions, we reveal that microcolony and biofilm formation can only be observed under shaking conditions and are decreased in the Δphz mutant compared to wild-type cultures, indicating that phenazines are crucial for the formation of biofilms if oxygen as an electron acceptor is not available. Furthermore, while the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii does not require archaella for attachment to surfaces under static conditions, we demonstrate that H. volcanii mutants that lack archaella are negatively affected in their early stages of biofilm formation under shaking conditions.ImportanceDue to the versatility of the mPAD mount, we anticipate that it will aid the analysis of biofilm formation in a broad range of bacteria and archaea. Thereby, it contributes to answering critical biological questions about the regulatory and structural components of biofilm formation and understanding this process in a wide array of environmental, biotechnological, and medical contexts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fausto Meriggi

Background:Malignant pleural effusion, which is a common clinical problem in patients with cancer, may be due to both primary thoracic tumours or to a metastatic spread in the chest and constitutes the first sign of disease in approximately 10% of patients. Almost all cancers can potentially produce a pleural effusion. The presence of malignant tumour cells in the pleural fluid is generally indicative of advanced disease and is associated with high morbidity and mortality with reduced therapeutic options. Dyspnoea during mild physical activity or at rest is generally the typical sign of restrictive respiratory failure. </P><P> Methods: This is a systematic review of all the main articles in the English language on the topic of malignant pleural effusion and reported by the Pubmed database from 1959 to 2018. I reviewed the literature and guidelines with the aims to focus on what is known and on future pathways to follow the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural effusions.Results:The main goal of palliation of a malignant pleural effusion is a quick improvement in dyspnoea, while thoracentesis under ultrasound guidance is the treatment of choice for patients with a limited life expectancy or who are not candidates for more invasive procedures such as drainage using an indwelling small pleural catheter, chemical pleurodesis with sclerosing agents, pleurectomy or pleuro-peritoneal shunt.Conclusion:Despite progress in therapeutic options, the prognosis remains severe, and the average survival is 4-9 months from the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. Moreover, mortality is higher for patients with malignant pleural effusion compared with those with metastatic cancer but no malignant pleural effusion. Therefore, the prognosis of these patients primarily depends on the underlying disease and the extension of a primary tumour. This review focuses on the most relevant updates in the management of malignant pleural effusion.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (17) ◽  
pp. 5511-5515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henny C. van der Mei ◽  
Minie Rustema-Abbing ◽  
Joop de Vries ◽  
Henk J. Busscher

ABSTRACT Transition from reversible to irreversible bacterial adhesion is a highly relevant but poorly understood step in initial biofilm formation. We hypothesize that in oral biofilm formation, irreversible adhesion is caused by bond strengthening due to specific bacterial interactions with salivary conditioning films. Here, we compared the initial adhesion of six oral bacterial strains to salivary conditioning films with their adhesion to a bovine serum albumin (BSA) coating and related their adhesion to the strengthening of the binding forces measured with bacteria-coated atomic force microscopy cantilevers. All strains adhered in higher numbers to salivary conditioning films than to BSA coatings, and specific bacterial interactions with salivary conditioning films were accompanied by stronger initial adhesion forces. Bond strengthening occurred on a time scale of several tens of seconds and was slower for actinomyces than for streptococci. Nonspecific interactions between bacteria and BSA coatings strengthened twofold faster than their specific interactions with salivary conditioning films, likely because specific interactions require a closer approach of interacting surfaces with the removal of interfacial water and a more extensive rearrangement of surface structures. After bond strengthening, bacterial adhesion forces with a salivary conditioning film remained stronger than those with BSA coatings.


2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 931-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Li ◽  
Michael J. Svarovsky ◽  
Amy J. Karlsson ◽  
Joel P. Wagner ◽  
Karen Marchillo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Candida albicans is the leading cause of systemic fungal infections in immunocompromised humans. The ability to form biofilms on surfaces in the host or on implanted medical devices enhances C. albicans virulence, leading to antimicrobial resistance and providing a reservoir for infection. Biofilm formation is a complex multicellular process consisting of cell adhesion, cell growth, morphogenic switching between yeast form and filamentous states, and quorum sensing. Here we describe the role of the C. albicans EAP1 gene, which encodes a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored, glucan-cross-linked cell wall protein, in adhesion and biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. Deleting EAP1 reduced cell adhesion to polystyrene and epithelial cells in a gene dosage-dependent manner. Furthermore, EAP1 expression was required for C. albicans biofilm formation in an in vitro parallel plate flow chamber model and in an in vivo rat central venous catheter model. EAP1 expression was upregulated in biofilm-associated cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results illustrate an association between Eap1p-mediated adhesion and biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo.


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