INHIBITION BY GLASS-IONOMER CEMENTS OF PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS BY HUMAN GINGIVAL FIBROBLASTS IN CONTINUOUS-CULTURE

The effects of several glass-ionomer cements (Baseline and Chem Fil of De Trey; Ketac Fil and Ketac Bond of ESPE; Vitrebond and Vitremer of 3 M) on the protein synthesis of cultured gingival fibroblasts were st udied. The presence of cements in the culture medium inhibited protein synthesis, although the relative effectiveness varied significantly. The cements tested have been ranked in three groups, group A (Chem Fil and Ketac FiI), group B (Ketac Bond and Baseline) and group C (Vitreb ond and Vitremer), showing 50, 75 and 100% reduction in protein synthe sis, respectively. Incubation of cells with medium previously conditio ned by Baseline and Ketac Fil caused only transient inhibition of prot ein synthesis followed by almost complete recovery. This recovery was not observed when the medium was conditioned with Vitrebond. A charact erization of the factors determining the inhibitory effect of one ceme nt in each group was attempted. The cements, irrespective of the type, produced small but reproducible decreases in the pH of the medium but released fluoride ions to a different extent. Both changes in the pH of the medium and in the fluoride concentration inhibited protein synt hesis by cultured gingival fibroblasts. The different action of cement s can be explained, at least in part, by a differing release of fluori de ions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.