Transdermal uptake and organ distribution of silver from two different wound dressings in rats after a burn trauma

Abstract

Silver-containing wound dressings are an integral part of wound therapy in adult and pediatric burn patients. The antimicrobial effect of silver is well known and has been described in numerous studies. Side effects are rarely reported from silver-containing wound care products, even though systemic absorption of silver has been shown by elevated levels of silver in the blood of patients after silver exposure during wound therapy. This animal study investigated the silver levels of blood and in which organs and tissues silver is detectable after long-term application of silver-containing wound dressings after a burn trauma. In male rats, a major full-thickness scald was created on their backs according to a standardized burn model. Two different silver-containing wound dressings (nanocrystalline silver [NCS] and silver sulphate foam [SSF]) were applied initially and changed every 7 days. Weekly blood drawings revealed an increase of blood silver in week three with significant higher values in the SSF compared with NCS group (Ag μg/kg 135.8 vs. 61.7; means; p ≤ 0.05). Thereafter, the NCS group showed significantly higher blood silver levels than the SSF group at week five (Ag μg/kg 192.3 vs. 81.3; means; p ≤ 0.01) and six (Ag μg/kg 168.2 vs. 32.9; means; p ≤ 0.01). After 6 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, and the organs and tissues were analyzed for their silver content by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Silver was detectable in all analyzed organs and tissue samples, with higher silver values in parenchymatous organs in the NCS than SSF group (Ag μg/kg; spleen: 3,469 vs. 260; kidney: 3,186 vs. 289; liver: 2,022 vs. 313; means; p ≤ 0.05). Silver was also detectable in brain, testis, lung, heart, and muscle tissue.

Assessment of toxicity in fresh water fish Labeo rohita treated with silver nanoparticles

“…Second, large amount of particles might be lost through fecal material and some settle down in the aquaria. Several studies have also suggested the distribution of silver in tissue including skin, bone marrow, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, pancreases, brain and lymph node (Pfurtscheller et al 2014). Further these results are also comparable to Boudreau et al (2016) in the case of 13 weeks administrated Sprague-Dawley rats.…”

Kinetic profile of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles by intraperitoneal injection in mice , a comparative study

“…These results came with those of [44] in increasing silver concentration in brain at the end point 28 d of their experiment after single intravenous injection with 5 mg/kg of 20 and 200 nm Ag NPs . There is an essential evidence proposing that Ag NPs can pass the blood testis barrier BTB as the occurrence of silver in the tissue of testicles which confirmed by exposing animals to Ag NPs through different routs of administration [36], [49], [50] , in current study the maximum concentrations of Ag and ZnO were 9.57 ±0.43 and 48.45±0.39µg/gm after 60 and 30 min of injection respectively with slow rate of elimination over experimental time points. Table 3.…”

Effectiveness of collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose/silver‐containing composite wound dressing for the treatment of medium‐depth split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds in multi‐morbid patients: a prospective, non‐comparative, single‐centre study

“…Complete reepithelialisation was observed between the 12th and 34th postoperative day (median 17⋅5 days). MRSA at DSWs was postoperatively confirmed in three patients (No 14,15,18) at the second and third dressing change. In two of these patients (No 14, 18), epithelialisation was delayed [34 days (No 14) and 26 days (No 18)].…”