Freshly-mixed and setting calcium-silicate cements stimulate human dental pulp cells.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of the eluates from 3 freshly-mixed and setting hydraulic calcium-silicate cements (hCSCs) on human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) and to examine the effect of a newly developed hCSC containing phosphopullulan (PPL) on HDPCs.

METHODS

Human dental pulp cells, previously characterized as mesenchymal stem cells, were used. To collect the eluates, disks occupying the whole surface of a 12-well plate were prepared using an experimental hCSC containing phosphopullulan (GC), Nex-Cem MTA (GC), Biodentine (Septodont) or a zinc-oxide (ZnO) eugenol cement (material-related negative control). Immediately after preparing the disks (non-set), 3ml of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) were added. The medium was left in contact with the disks for 24h before being collected. Four different dilutions were prepared (100%, 50%, 25% and 10%) and cell-cytotoxicity, cell-proliferation, cell-migration and odontogenic differentiation were tested. The cell-cytotoxicity and cell-proliferation assays were performed by XTT-colorimetric assay at different time points. The cell-migration ability was tested with the wound-healing assay and the odontogenic differentiation capacity of hCSCs on HDPCs was tested with RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Considering all experimental data together, the eluates from 3 freshly-mixed and setting hCSCs appeared not cytotoxic toward HDPCs. Moreover, all three cements stimulated proliferation, migration and odontogenic differentiation of HDPCs.

SIGNIFICANCE: The use of freshly-mixed and setting hCSCs is an appropriate approach to test the effect of the materials on human dental pulp cells. The experimental material containing PPL is non-cytotoxic and positively stimulates HDPCs.