Use of human and animal amniotic membranes in local antibiotic therapy.

Objective: The antibacterial properties of amniotic membranes are the reason for their wide clinical use. Amniotic membrane soaked in antibiotics can be used in local antibiotic therapy, creating new options for the treatment of infections. The aim of this study was to analyse the inhibiting effect of both human and porcine amniotic membranes soaked in antibiotics on the growth of microorganisms.

Method: Human and porcine placentas were collected during natural births, under aseptic conditions. Each amnion was divided into three parts: intravital; cryopreserved; and radio-sterilised. Discs of 8mm in diameter were cut from the amniotic membrane. The discs were incubated in antibiotics (gentamicin, neomycin sulfate and colistin) for three hours and then subjected to microbiological tests to assess the inhibition of bacterial growth. The inhibiting effect on microorganisms-Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae- were examined.

Results: The findings of the study showed that porcine amniotic membrane was as effective in carrying antibiotics as human amnion. The ability of cryopreserved or radio-sterilised amniotic membrane to inhibit the growth of microorganisms was not reduced compared to that of fresh amnion. There was a statistically significant difference in the studied groups. The highest growth inhibition efficacy was noted for Escherichia coli, meticilin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii-sensitive extended-spectrum beta-lactamase. The highest mean zones of growth inhibition were obtained for gentamicin and neomycin sulfate.

Conclusion: This study revealed that both human and porcine amniotic membranes can be used in carrying antibiotics. Differently prepared amniotic membrane can be successfully used in microorganism inhibition.