Microcalorimetric study of the bactericidal action of titanium tetrachloride on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth. Potential implications in orthopaedic surgery

With the rising use of metallic implants worldwide, bacterial infection has become a major concern due to its significant impact on patient health and national healthcare budgets. This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common bacterium responsible for implant surgery infections, to different concentrations of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) solutions. Microcalorimetry was used to analyze the heat output produced by bacteria metabolism when exposed to TiCl₄ at concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 mM, as well as a saturated solution. The inner chamber of the calorimeter was set to the physiological temperature of the human body (309.65 K), and the heat output produced by bacteria metabolism was collected at intervals of 22.2 s for 48 h using a data acquisition and processing system. The data was then represented as thermograms. The results showed that higher concentrations of TiCl₄ had a bactericidal effect on the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study supports the potential use of higher concentrations of this compound in surgical implants to reduce the risk of infection development due to its bactericidal properties.