Assessment of the genotoxicity of resin and zinc-oxide eugenol-based root canal sealers using an in vitro mammalian test system

Endodontic sealers frequently are placed in direct contact with living tiss ues. Thus root canal sealers should have good biocompatibility. However, th e pathobiologic effects, especially genotoxicity, of various root canal sea lers widely used in dentistry have not been studied systematically on eukar yotic cells. The aim of this study was to examine the genotoxic potential o f resin and zinc oxide-eugenol-based root canal sealers using a mammalian t est system. In this study, tetrazolium bromide reduction assay, DNA precipi tation assay, and DNA fragmentation analysis were performed to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of four different root canal sealers on cultured V79 cells. The results show that all the root canal sealers teste d are cytotoxic to V79 cells. The toxicity decreased in the order of N2 > A H26 > AHplus > Canals. In addition, N2, AH26, and AHplus exhibited genotoxi city by causing DNA single-strand breaks and digestion of genomic DNA. Howe ver, N2 is the most toxic root canal sealer among those tested. Taken toget her, these findings suggest that the sealers evaluated in this study show d ifferent toxic effects depending on the types and components. Root canal se alers containing formaldehyde and bisphenol A diglyether proved to be not o nly cytotoxic but also genotoxic. This mammalian test system might be used routinely for evaluation of the genotoxicity of dental materials in future investigations. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.