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Cultured pulp fibroblasts: are they suitable for in vitro cytotoxicity testing?
C W van Wyk1, A Olivier, J S Maritz
1Oral and Dental Research Institute, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
Summary
Human pulp cells show variable growth and morphology, making them potentially unreliable for single-line dental material biocompatibility testing. However, their heightened sensitivity to toxins suggests they could serve as sensitive cytotoxicity indicators.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Dental Research
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell cultures are increasingly vital for dental material biocompatibility testing.
- Dental pulp cells are the primary target for restorative material cytotoxicity.
- Cultured pulp cells are proposed as the ideal model for biocompatibility assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the growth, morphology, and toxic response of human pulp cell lines.
- To compare these characteristics with human buccal mucosa fibroblasts.
- To evaluate the suitability of pulp cells for biocompatibility testing.
Main Methods:
- Culturing of human pulp and buccal mucosa tissue specimens.
- Microscopic observation and classification of cell morphology (Type I, II, III).
- Growth curve analysis and statistical comparison of cell lines; cytotoxicity testing with arecoline.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in overall growth between pulp and buccal mucosa cells.
- Significant inter-individual differences in growth curve slopes, more pronounced in pulp cells.
- Similar microscopic morphology between pulp and mucosa fibroblasts, but significant inter-cell-line differences.
- Pulp cells exhibited greater growth inhibition when exposed to arecoline, indicating higher sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Single or pooled human pulp cell lines may not be ideal for reproducible biocompatibility testing due to significant inter-cell-line variability.
- Multiple cell lines are necessary to minimize the impact of individual differences in testing.
- The heightened sensitivity of pulp cells to toxins suggests their potential as sensitive indicators of cytotoxicity in dental materials.
