title: Ability of root canal antiseptics used in dental practice to induce chromosome aberrations in human dental pulp cells.
abstract: Root canal antiseptics are topically applied to root canals within the pulpless teeth to treat the root canal and periapical infections. Because the antiseptics that are applied to root canals can penetrate through dentin or leak out through an apical foramen into the periodontium and distribute by the systemic circulation, it is important to study the safety of these antiseptics. In the present study, we examined the ability to induce chromosome aberrations in human dental pulp cells of five root canal antiseptics, namely, carbol camphor (CC), camphorated p-monochlorophenol (CMCP), formocresol (FC), calcium hydroxide, and iodoform which are most commonly used in dental practice. Statistically significant increases in the levels of chromosome aberrations were induced by CC, FC, or iodoform in a concentration-dependent manner. Conversely, CMCP and calcium hydroxide failed to induce chromosome aberrations in the absence or presence of exogenous metabolic activation. The percentages of cells with polyploid or endoreduplication were enhanced by FC or iodoform. Our results indicate that the root canal antiseptics that exhibited a positive response are potentially genotoxic to human cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higo
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Takeo W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
authors.forename: Takeki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D002164:Camphor / Q000009:adverse effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006847:Hydrocarbons, Iodinated / Q000009:adverse effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000009:adverse effects