In vitro biological response to a self-adhesive resin cement under different curing strategies

Self-adhesive resin cements represents a new approach in indirect restorative dentistry, although little is known about its biological properties. The influence of the curing strategy on the biological response of a self-adhesive resin cement (Rely-X Unicem/3M ESPE) was evaluated through methyltetrazolium (MTT) and nitric oxide (NOx) assays. Cylindrical specimens (n = 48) were prepared and cured according to the following strategies: photoactivation with halogen light-curing unit (LCU) Demetron/Kerr, LED LCU Radii/SDI, and chemical activation. A control group with culture medium and a group with lipopolysaccharide, employed for cells stimulation, were used for comparisons (n = 8). After 24 h of direct contact between specimens and rat alveolar macrophages, the biological response was evaluated. Statistical evaluation of the data was performed with Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test (p = 0.05). The MTT test showed that the specimens cured by halogen light and chemical activation provided higher alterations on cell metabolism. For LED-cured specimens, cell viability was compatible to the results observed in the control group. For the NOx assay, all curing methods were cytotoxic to rat macrophages. Rely-X Unicem demonstrated different cytotoxic effects according to the curing strategy employed.