Cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and migration of SHEDs exposed to bioactive pulp capping materials: an in vitro study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, as well as the cell migration capacities, of two resin-based bioactive materials: NeoLiner LC (NuSmile, Houston, Texas, USA) and TheraCal PT (Bisco Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA), an of one bioceramic cement: Bio C Repair (Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil), compared to those of Biodentine (Septodont, Saint-Maur-des-Fosses, France) and Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil) in stem cells isolated from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs). METHODS: SHEDs were cultured with various dilutions (1%, 5%, and 10%) of the eluates from the bioactive dental materials. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. DNA strand breaks and cellular damage in SHEDs were quantified by the Comet Assay. Additionally, a Wound-Healing (scratch) assay was performed to determine the materials’ effects on in vitro cell migration. Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman non-parametric tests were applied using IBM SPSS 20 with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: 1% Biodentine, 5% TheraCal PT, and 5% NeoLiner LC eluates demonstrated higher cell viability than the untreated cells (p < 0.01). In the Comet assay, NeoLiner LC, TheraCal PT, and Bio C repair exhibited genetic defect index (GDI) values of 22, 28, and 44, respectively, which were considerably higher than MTA Angelus (GDI = 4). Furthermore, Bio C Repair (50.57%) demonstrated cell migration capacity compared to NeoLiner LC (39%), MTA Angelus (37.17%), TheraCal PT (35,34%), and untreated cells (24,01%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that resin-based bioactive materials, such as NeoLiner LC and TheraCal PT, were associated with higher relative cell viability and migration in SHEDs. However, although genotoxic effects have been observed in vitro, further clinical studies are warranted to fully elucidate the long-term biological effects of resin-based bioactive materials.