Superoxide dismutase activity in healthy and inflamed pulp tissues of permanent teeth in children

The free radicals play an important role in the tissue damage. Oxygen-derived free radicals are controlled by various cellular defense mechanisms consisting of enzymatic such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathion peroxidase and nonenzymatic scavenger components. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is responsible for the dismutation of the superoxide radicals into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. In this study, pulp samples extirpated from the teeth of the 27 children between 10-15 ages which diagnosed to be healthy, reversible pulpitis or symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were evaluated for the activity of superoxide dismutase enzyme. There were statistically significant differences between healthy and reversible pulpitis, and between reversible and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis groups. The SOD activity of the reversible pulpitis group were significantly lower than the irreversible pulpitis and healthy pulp groups. The evaluation of the data revealed that the quantity of SOD as a vitality protector enzyme is low at the beginning of the inflammation as a consequence of rapidly depletion and/or destruction of this enzyme, but as the inflammation proceeds the pulp tissue showed adaptation to this situation.