Bacterial adhesion to functionalized polyurethanes.

The effect of fibrinogen and high molecular weight kininogen on bacterial adhesion to functionalized polyurethanes was studied. Glass slides were coated with different polyurethanes, including Pellethane, sulfonated Pellethane, phosphonated Pellethane, a zwitterionic phosphonated polyurethane, and quaternized amine polyurethanes. The polymer-coated glass squares were exposed to radiolabelled S. aureus. When comparing adhesion to bare polyurethanes, it was found that adhesion was lowest on the phosphonated Pellethane and the zwitterionic phosphonated polyurethane while highest on the methyl quaternized polyurethanes. Fibrinogen-mediated adhesion was studied by first exposing the polymers to increasing concentrations of canine fibrinogen before incubating them with S. aureus. All the polymers except the quaternized amine polyurethanes exhibited at least ten-fold increases in bacterial adhesion as the fibrinogen treatment concentration was increased from 0.0 to 10.0 microg ml(-1). The quaternized amine polyurethanes maintained their relatively high amount of bacterial adhesion regardless of the fibrinogen concentration. The effect of two-chain high molecular weight kininogen (TCHMWK) on fibrinogen-mediated bacterial adhesion was assessed by exposing the polymers to 1.0 microg ml(-1) fibrinogen followed by two different concentrations of TCHMWK. Decreases in bacterial adhesion were observed on all the polymers except the quaternized amine polyurethanes, which again retained their relatively high amount of bacterial adhesion.