Abstract
Benzathonium chloride (BTC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) that is used as an antibacterial in medical, industrial, and household applications. BTC is easily complexed with laponite clay particles to allow controlled delivery for topical application. BTC-clay in cream form has been previously shown to be effective against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The purpose of this project is to test the hypothesis that BTC-clay can enhance the process of wound healing. Using an in vitro wound healing model utilizing the human lung fibroblast cell line WI-38, a “wound” is induced by scratching the confluent monolayer, then replacing the media with media containing either pure BTC or BTC-clay, compared to control. The wound width was measured over a time course of 24 hours to compare the width of the wounds between the control and treatment groups. Neither BTC nor BTC-Clay affected fibroblast migration or proliferation in this wound healing assay. A human epithelial cell line, SCC-15, from an epithelial squamous cell carcinoma, was tested as well. Unexpectedly, both BTC- and BTC-clay rapidly induced cell death, in a concentration dependent fashion. On closer examination, it was found that this “epithelial” cell line has a stem cell phenotype; stem cells have been shown in the literature to be selectively killed by quaternary ammonium compounds. An in vivo model will be used to test whether the other cell types that participate in wound healing in the body, including granulocytes, macrophages, and keratinocytes, are altered in recruitment or activity at the wound site.
Description
Biology | Biotechnology | Environmental Sciences Poster Presentation
