title: Assessment of cytotoxic potential of root canal sealers after hardening - an ex vivo study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to perform a comparative assessment of the toxic action of root canal sealers currently on the market on human gingival fibroblasts after setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inserts with an equal quantity of set root canal sealers were transferred into 24-well culture dishes containing human gingival fibroblasts cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). The dishes with materials were incubated at 37°C, 100% humidity and in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 for 24 h. The cytotoxic effects of the root canal materials were measured by the mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity in living cells using tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epiphany and Sealapex exhibited high toxicity towards human gingival fibroblasts - 25.57% ± 0.88 and 27.63 % ± 2.35 respectively (less than 30% live cells in the culture). The remaining materials were characterized by lack of a cytotoxic effect (over 90% of live cells in the culture). None of the preparations exhibited moderate or low toxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of root canal sealers tested after hardening were well tolerated by human gingival fibroblasts. Only two materials were characterized by high toxicity: with methacrylate (Epiphany) and calcium hydroxide (Sealapex).
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Paedodontics, Medical University of Białystok.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Łuczaj-Cepowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry Propaedeutics, Medical University of Białystok.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kierklo
authors.affiliation: Department of Paedodontics, Medical University of Białystok.
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marczuk-Kolada
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Białystok.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hołownia
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C112894:canals sealer; C486893:epiphany sealer