A Comparative Study of the Effects of Three Root-end Filling Materials on Proliferation and Adherence of Human Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts

Introduction: The present in vitro study was conducted with the aim of evaluating and comparing the cytotoxic effects of three root-end filling materials, ProRoot mineral trioxide aggregate (Pro Root MTA; Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Memphis, TN), MTA Angelus (Angelus, Londrina, Brazil), and a modified zinc oxide-eugenol cement (Super-EBA; Bosworth Co, Skokie, IL) on human periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts. Methods: PDL cells were cultured in an mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)- or a Super-EBA conditioned medium to assess the viability as determined by the trypan blue exclusion assay. The proliferation of the cells was recorded, and the cellular morphology was observed by confocal microscopy. Moreover, PDL cell aggregates were cultured on the substrate surfaces to assess cell adhesion. Results: Pro Root MTA was found to be the most biocompatible material, whereas Super-EBA was found to be the most cytotoxic material because it significantly inhibited the cell growth and adherence on its. In the presence of Pro Root MTA, the PDL cell proliferation was almost unaltered. MTA Angelus was found to be more cytotoxic than Pro Root MTA, offering, however, excellent scaffold properties for the adhesion of cell aggregates. Conclusions: Under the conditions of the present study, it seems that commercially available forms of MTA may behave in different ways regarding their proliferative effect on human PDL fibroblasts. Pro Root MTA appears to be the most biocompatible of the three tested materials when considering use for root-end endodontic microsurgery. (J Endod 2011;37:865-870)