title: Ability of healthy and inflamed human dental pulp to reduce hydrogen peroxide.
abstract: This study examined the defensive ability of human dental pulp against H2O2 in healthy and reversible and irreversible pulpitis tissues through determination of catalase activity by spectrophotometric methods. Thirty-five systemically healthy patients were donors of the pulp tissue, and pulp conditions were assessed using clinical and X-ray evaluations. Catalase activity was 1.61 +/- 0.23 U mg(-1) protein in the healthy tissues, 2.99 +/- 0.45 U mg(-1) protein in the reversible pulpitis tissues, and 2.44 +/- 467 mU mg(-1) protein in the irreversible pulpitis tissues. All differences between the groups were statistically significant. These results point to a role for catalase during dental pulp inflammation in humans, and therefore demonstrate an inherent biological defense system against reactive oxidants in human dental pulp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Dental School, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varvara
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murmura
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terlizzi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caputi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D016877:Oxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase