Introduction: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are of significant medical burden in cost, morbidity, and mortality. Experimental selenium-coated medical devices have demonstrated nontoxic in-vitro and in-vivo antimicrobial activity due to the ability of selenium to catalyze formation of superoxide radicals. While antimicrobial-coated catheters have shown efficacy in preventing CAUTIs, selenium has not been tested in this context. The purpose of this in-vitro study is to evaluate selenium-incorporated urinary catheters for inhibition of uropathogenic bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Methods: Urinary catheters incorporated with 1% organo-selenium and standard (uncoated) catheters were incubated in-vitro with E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, H. influenzae, and combinations of these bacteria. Growth was evaluated by colony forming unit count and visualized with confocal laser and scanning electron microscopy. Organo-selenium catheter material integrity was also tested by soaking the tubing in phosphate-buffered saline for 12-weeks at 37 oC. Results: Organo-selenium-incorporated catheters demonstrated total reduction (100%) of in-vitro bacterial growth and biofilm formation for E. coli, K. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and a combination of these species when compared to control. P. aeruginosa growth was inhibited by approximately 4 logs (99.99%). Complete inhibition of E. coli growth was maintained after long-term phosphate-buffered saline soaking. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that organo-selenium was stably incorporated into catheter tubing and inhibited bacterial attachment, growth, and biofilm formation for multiple uropathogenic organisms. Furthermore, long-term soaking of organo-selenium tubing in phosphate-buffered saline did not show any decline in bacterial growth inhibition or biofilm formation. These findings suggest that organo-selenium-incorporated catheters may be advantageous in preventing CAUTIs and warrant further in-vivo and clinical evaluation. SOURCE OF Funding: None
