Controlled release of sisomicin from fibrin glue

It seems reasonable to incorporate antibiotics into fibrin glue (FG) used for the presealing of grafts in vascular surgery, to prevent graft infection. This study was conducted to investigate whether FG is appropriate as a biodegradable drug carrier for antibiotics by determining the release behavior of sisomicin (SISO) from FG. By adding 0.12 ml of thrombin (36 U) with 1.75 mg of SISO to a fibrinogen solution (0.12 ml: 9.6 mg), a fibrin glue containing SISO was prepared in a Teflon cast (1 cm in diameter). Then a Dacron ® sheet (1 cm in diameter) was placed on the FG (SISO-FG-Dacron disk; 2.7 mm in thickness). In vitro it was demonstrated that after 8 h and 21 h, 90% and 100% of SISO was released from the SISO-FG-Dacron disk. The SISO-FG-Dacron disk was implanted in an abdominal skin pocket of a rabbit. After 8 h approximately 90% of SISO was released from the FG. The release behavior of SISO in the animal experiment was compatible with temporal courses of serum and tissue SISO levels following implantation of SISO-FG-Dacron disks. One hundred percent SISO from the SISO-Dacron disk(control), prepared by soaking the Dacron sheet in SISO, was released at 1 h. FG is thus concluded to be usable not only as a tissue adhesive but as a drug carrier for controlled release. The in vitro experimental procedure of this study facilitated evaluation of the in vivo release of the drug from FG, as evident from the close agreement of the results of the in vitro experiment with those in the animal experiment.