Comparison of tetraacetylethylendiamine + sodium perborate and sodium hypochlorite cytotoxicity on L929 fibroblasts

Introduction: Tetraacetylethylenediamine in association with sodium perborate (TAED+P) can be suggested for its use as an endodontic disinfectant because of its antimicrobial activity against different bacterial species when used at low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to measure the cytotoxicity of TAED+P on L929 fibroblasts and to compare it with that of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Methods: L929 fibroblasts were grown in Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) at 37°C and 5% CO 2. At confluence, cells were split, plated in a 96-well plate, and incubated for 24 hours to allow attachment. The two disinfectants TAED+P and NaOCI were tested at various concentrations. The neutral red uptake and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assays were used to evaluate the cell viability. The 50% inhibitory dose values for both disinfectants were calculated and statistically analyzed. The effect of both disinfectants on fibroblast viability was also determined in the presence of various concentrations of FCS. One-way analysis of variance with post hoc analysis using Tukey multiple comparison test was used for parametric data. Results: Both disinfectants induced a dose-related loss of cell viability; TAED+P resulted less cytotoxic than NaOCI in all the examined experimental conditions. Conclusions: These data support the possible use of TAED+P as an endodontic irrigant. Further studies are required to analyze its antibacterial activity against endodontic pathogens.