Short-term histopathological effects of direct peripheral nerve exposure to AH Plus® Bioceramic Sealer in rats: an exploratory assessment of Stemregen® supplementation.

BACKGROUND

Extrusion of root canal sealers into neurovascular tissues can result in rare but serious neurological complications, including paresthesia and neuropathic pain. This study aimed to evaluate the histopathological effects of direct peripheral nerve exposure to AH Plus® Bioceramic Sealer and to assess the influence of Stemregen® supplementation on histopathological tissue responses.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups ( n = 12): Control, Supplement only, Bioceramic only, and Bioceramic + Supplement. Sterile polyethylene tubes containing AH Plus® Bioceramic Sealer were applied in contact with the sciatic nerve in the relevant groups. Stemregen® was administered orally at 300 mg/kg/day for 15 days. At the end of the experiment, nerve tissues were harvested and examined histologically. Nerve tissues were evaluated histologically for axonal and myelin degeneration, inflammatory infiltration, fibrosis, and perineurial changes using semiquantitative scoring, and intergroup comparisons were performed using nonparametric statistical tests (Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc analysis).

RESULTS

Severe axonal degeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis were observed in the Bioceramic group compared to controls ( p < 0.05). The Bioceramic + Supplement group showed lower histological damage scores than the Bioceramic-only group; however, these differences were not statistically significant ( p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that direct exposure to a bioceramic root canal sealer is associated with histopathological alterations in peripheral nerve tissue, whereas systemic administration of Stemregen® was associated with lower injury scores without achieving statistical significance.