Nanoparticles Production and Inclusion in S. aureus Incubated with Polyurethane: An Electron Microscopy Analysis

Lyubov V. Didenko, George A. Avtandilov, Natalia V. Shevlyagina, N. M. Shustrova, Tatiana A. Smirnova, I. Y. Lebedenko, Roberta Curia, Claudio Savoia, Francesco Tatti, Marziale Milani

Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi, Milano, Italy.
FEI Italia, Viale Bianca Maria, Milano, Italy.
Gamaleya Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Gamaleya ul., Moscow, Russia.
Moscow State Medical and Stomatological University, Moscow, Russia.
ST Microelectronics, Via C. Olivetti, Agrate Brianza (Mi), Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmi.2013.32010                

Abstract

This study shows that submicron/nanoparticles found in bacterial cells (S. aureus) incubated with polyurethane (a material commonly used for prostheses in odontostomatology) are a consequence of biodestruction. The presence of polyurethane nanoparticles into bacterial vesicles suggests that the internalization process occurs through endocytosis. TEM and FIB/SEM are a suitable set of correlated instruments and techniques for this multi facet investigation: polyurethane particles influence the properties of S. aureus from the morpho-functional standpoint that may have undesirable effects on the human body. S. aureus and C. albicans are symbiotic microorganisms; it was observed that C. albicans has a similar interaction with polyurethane and an increment of the biodestruction capacity is expected by its mutual work with S. aureus.

Keywords

Polyurethane; S. aureus; Biodestruction; Endocytosis; FIB/SEM (Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscope); TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope); STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope)

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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