Novel antimicrobial coatings based on polylactide for plastic biliary stents to prevent post-endoscopic retrograde...

Cholangitis is a common complication after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC).

To evaluate antimicrobial coatings for biliary plastic stents in relation to efficacy against biliary pathogens, drug release and toxicity.

Biliary plastic stents were prepared by coating using a polylactide drug carrier. Stent coatings contained 4% (w/w) drug content of Resomer-octenidine (RO), Resomer-octenidine and citrate (ROC), Resomer-triclosan (RT) or Resomer-gentamicin (RG). Drug-release kinetics, antimicrobial efficacies of coated biliary stents against biliary pathogens and biocompatibilities were tested. Antimicrobial efficacy measurements included MIC testing, zone of inhibition (ZOI) assays and log reduction in bacterial suspensions.

Continuous drug release was observed in all antimicrobial stent coatings for at least 168 h with an initial peak within the first 24 h. RT-, ROC- and RG-coated stents resulted in the following log reductions in suspensions: Escherichia coli (-0.3, -7.4 and -6.6, respectively); Enterococcus faecalis (-0.05, -6.3 and -3.9, respectively); and Candida albicans (-0.04, -1.5 and -0.2, respectively). ROC had the highest log reduction in suspension and the most favourable time course of ZOI (≥2 mm, over 72 h) against all tested pathogens. Although RT coatings showed the lowest MICs, they had the lowest ZOIs after 24 h. Concerning RO, acceptable biocompatibility could only be reached by adding a citrate component. RG showed the largest ZOI after 24 h against E. coli (19.3 mm) and E. faecalis (5.1 mm), whereas the ZOI was lower against C. albicans (1.3 mm) compared with ROC (3.7 mm).

ROC corresponds most closely to the requirements of an ideal antimicrobial stent coating to prevent post-ERC cholangitis, showing the highest log reduction in pathogen counts, the most favourable time course of ZOI and high biocompatibility.