Biocompatibility and stability during storage of Foley urinary catheters coated chlorhexidine loaded nanoparticles by nanocoating: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Foley urinary catheters were coated by chlorhexidine-loaded micelles and chlorhexidine-loaded nanospheres. In our prior study, the nanocoating of Foley urinary catheter was investigated for chlorhexidine-release study, degradation, antibacterial evaluation, and cytotoxicity assessment. These studies presented the 1 month antibacterial property of nanocoating deposited via the layers of micelles and nanospheres. In this study, we evaluated the biocompatibility of these catheters, including hemocompatibility, skin irritation, skin sensitization, and stability during the age of coated urinary catheter. Results demonstrated that coated urinary catheters presented slight hemolysis, whereas skin irritation on rabbit and skin sensitization on Dunkin Hartley guinea pig showed no signs of dermal toxicity, which indicated that inflammation, redness, and swelling did not occur. Moreover, the stability of coated urinary catheters during storage indicated no change in chlorhexidine peaks by high performance liquid chromatography. Information from these studies supports the biocompatibility of coated urinary catheters via nanocoating and their use as indwelling devices to prevent urinary tract infections.