Effect of statins with α-tricalcium phosphate on proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of human dental
Parasuraman R Varalakshmi1, Mahendran Kavitha, Ramajayam Govindan
1Department of Endodontics, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College, Chennai, India. varaa85@gmail.com
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of statin and α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) on odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp cells and to compare them with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
Methods:
Experimental cements were prepared with TCP containing simvastatin and atorvastatin. Cell proliferation, cell adherence on a dentin disc, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, expression of osteogenic/odontoblastic markers, and mineralization of the human dental pulp cells on experimental cement and MTA were assessed.
Results:
The cell growth and ALP activity of TCP containing simvastatin-treated cells was greater than MTA-treated cells. The mineralization and messenger RNA expression of markers (ie, dentin sialophosphoprotein, dentin matrix protein 1, bone morphogenetic protein 2, ALP, and osteonectin) of TCP containing simvastatin- and TCP containing atorvastatin-treated cells were comparable with MTA-treated cells. The enhanced cell proliferation and similar level of ALP of TCP-treated cells compared with the control indicate that α-TCP is an effective osteoconductive material. The differentiation effect observed in TCP containing simvastatin- and TCP containing atorvastatin-treated cells is attributed to the effect of statin.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that α-TCP can be used for local delivery of statin as a pulp capping material to accelerate reparative dentin formation.
