Effect of Dental Local Anesthetics on Reactive Oxygen Species: An In Vitro Study

Introduction Oxidative stress, an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defenses, plays an important role in various dental diseases. Local anesthetics are frequently used in dentistry. The potential antioxidant activity of dental local anesthetics can contribute to dental practice. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the ROS-scavenging activities of three commonly used dental local anesthetics, lidocaine, prilocaine, and articaine, focusing on their effects on hydroxyl radicals (HO^•) and superoxide anions (O₂ ^•-). Materials and methods The electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique was employed to specifically measure the ROS-scavenging activities of these local anesthetics at varying concentrations. Results Lidocaine, prilocaine, and articaine exhibited concentration-dependent HO^•-scavenging activities, with IC₅₀ values of 0.029%, 0.019%, and 0.014%, respectively. Lidocaine and prilocaine showed concentration-dependent O₂ ^•--scavenging activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.033% and 0.057%, respectively. However, articaine did not scavenge O₂ ^•-. Conclusions The proactive use of dental local anesthetics may mitigate oxidative injury and inflammatory damage through direct ROS scavenging. However, further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying the antioxidant effects of these dental local anesthetics and their potential impact on the dental diseases associated with oxidative stress.