Mechanical And Antibacterial Properties Of Metronidazole Loaded PMMA Bone Cements

Abstract

Metronidazole, a nitroimidazole derivative first introduced into clinical practice in the 1960s, represents one of the most important and enduring antimicrobial agents in the therapeutic armamentarium, with a unique spectrum of activity that distinguishes it from most other antibiotics. This compound has potent activity against a range of protozoan parasites including Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of amebic dysentery and liver abscess; Giardia lamblia, responsible for giardiasis, a common cause of diarrheal disease worldwide; and Trichomonas vaginalis, a sexually transmitted parasite causing trichomoniasis, for which the drug was first approved as an effective treatment. The remarkable efficacy of metronidazole against these diverse protozoan pathogens established its clinical utility and paved the way for the subsequent discovery of its activity against anaerobic bacteria, which has proven to be of even greater clinical significance. The mechanism of action of metronidazole involves entry into microbial cells, where the nitro group is reduced by electron transport proteins to form toxic compounds that damage DNA and other cellular components, leading to cell death. This mechanism requires the low redox potential found only in anaerobic and microaerophilic organisms, explaining the selective toxicity of the drug.