Edinburgh Napier University

  Nitric oxide (NO) is important for the regulation of a number of diverse biological processes, including vascular tone, neurotransmission, inflammatory cell responsiveness, defence against invading pathogens and wound healing. Transition metal exchangedzeolites are nanoporous materials with high-capacity storage properties for gases such as NO. The NO stores are liberated upon contact with aqueous environments, thereby making them ideal candidates for use in biological and clinical settings. Here, we demonstrate the NO release capacity and powerful bactericidal properties of a novel NO-storing Zn2+-exchangedzeolitematerial at a 50 wt.% composition in a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer. Further to our published data showing the anti-thrombotic effects of a similar NO-loadedzeolite, this study demonstrates the anti-bacterial properties of NO-releasing zeolites against clinically relevant strains of bacteria, namely Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile. Thus our study highlights the potential of NO-loadedzeolites as biocompatible medical device coatings with anti-infective properties