In this work, we evaluated the direct effect of a dialkyl carbamoyl chloride (DACC)-coated dressing on Staphylococcus aureus adhesion and growth in vitro, as well as the indirect effect of the dressing on fibroblast and macrophage activity. S. aureus cultures were treated with the dressing or gauze in Müller-Hinton medium or serum-supplemented Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium. Bacterial growth and attachment were assessed through colony-forming units (CFU) and residual biomass analyses. Fibroblast and macrophage co-cultures were stimulated with filtered supernatants from the bacterial cultures treated with the DACC-coated dressing, following which tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 expression and gelatinolytic activity were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and zymography, respectively. The DACC-coated dressing bound 1.8−6.1% of all of the bacteria in the culture. Dressing-treated cultures presented biofilm formation in the dressing (enabling mechanical removal), with limited formation outside of it (p < 0.001). Filtered supernatants of bacterial cultures treated with the DACC-coated dressing did not over-stimulate TNF-α or TGF-β1 expression (p < 0.001) or increase gelatinolytic activity in eukaryotic cells, suggesting that bacterial cell integrity was maintained. Based on the above data, wound caregivers should consider the use of hydrophobic dressings as a first option for the management of acute or chronic wounds.
Keywords: bacterial growth; cytokine; fibroblast; hydrophobic; inflammation; macrophage.