title: In vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of nanosilver-mineral trioxide aggregate against frequent anaerobic oral pathogens by a membrane-enclosed immersion test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nanoparticles of silver (NanoAg) have been shown to control the growth of bacteria, but application of NanoAg in endodontics has not been evaluated. This in vitro study evaluates the antimicrobial activity of NanoAg to enhance the inhibitory effects of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The antibacterial activities of NanoAg and NanoAg-MTA against four types of anaerobic pathogens were tested in vitro using (1) agar diffusion test (ADT) and (2) a newly devised membrane-enclosed immersion test (MEIT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both NanoAg and NanoAg-MTA inhibited the growth of all four test bacteria at 25 ppm concentration. MEIT analysis consistently showed that NanoAg enhanced the antimicrobial activity of MTA significantly, and the bacterial susceptibility to lower concentrations of NanoAg varied depending on the type of bacteria. Overall, NanoAg-MTA showed significant inhibitory effect which was time and dose dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support that NanoAg can serve as an excellent MTA additive against anaerobic endodontic-periodontal pathogens with clinical applications for infection control in endodontics.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahador
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pourakbari
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bolhari
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hashemi
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D049329:Nanostructures; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017640:Silicates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012834:Silver / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010087:Oxides; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate; D012834:Silver