Effects of gray and white mineral trioxide aggregate on the proliferation of oral keratinocytes and cementoblasts

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is used as a repair material and may directly contact cells from different cell lineages. The purpose of this study was to assess cell proliferation of immortalized Murine cementoblasts (OCCM.30) and immortalized keratinocytes (OKF6/TERT1) on gray MTA (GMTA) and white MTA (WMTA) with the DNA intercalating dye Hoechst 33342. Cells were grown for 72 hours on GMTA or WMTA that had been cured for 24 hours or 12 days. WMTA significantly (p < 0.001) increased the proliferation of OCCM.30 cementoblasts compared to control and OKF6/TERT1 keratinocytes. Both cell types grew significantly (p < 0.001) better on the surface of WMTA compared to GMTA. In addition, both cell types showed significantly (p < 0.005) higher proliferation when grown on 12-day-cured GMTA compared to 24-hour-cured GMTA.