Assessment of bio-safety of low-cost polyurethane urologic stents used in developing countries

Surface immobilization of kanamycin-chitosan nanoparticles on polyurethane ureteral stents to prevent bacterial adhesion

Bacterial adhesion is a major problem that can lead to the infection of implanted urological stents. In this study, kanamycin-chitosan nanoparticles (KMCSNPs) were immobilized on the surface of a polyurethane ureteral stent (PUS) to prevent urinary bacterial infection. KMCSNPs were synthesized using the ionic gelation method. The synthesized KMCSNPs appeared spherical with a ζ-average particle size of 225 nm. KMCSNPs were immobilized on the PUS surface by covalent immobilization techniques. The surface-modified PUS was characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The surface-modified PUS showed significantly increased antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli MTCC 729 and Proteus mirabilis MTCC 425 relative to the surface of an unmodified PUS. These findings suggest that the KMCSNP-immobilized PUS has the potential to prevent bacterial infection in the human urinary tract.