[Evaluation of cytotoxicity of VLC Dycal in tissue culture for clinical use].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the VLC Dycal (visible light cured composite-calcium hydroxide material) to see whether it is suitable or not as a direct or indirect pulp capping agent for clinical use by means of the cell culture test. Two light cured composite resins, P-30 and Silux, and also Dycal and Ca(OH)2 were used as a control for a comparative cytotoxicity test with VLC Dycal. All test materials were put into the glass tubes (4 mm diameter X 1 mm high), then illuminated for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 seconds through a matrix strip with direct contact with a Prisma-light source (L.D. Caulk), just before testing. Fibroblasts, 5 ml of 1 X 10(5) cells per ml in Eagle's MEM medium with 10% FCS, penicillin (100 U/ml) and streptomycin (100 micrograms/ml) were evenly seeded on a cover glass in a tissue culture dish and incubated for 24 hours at 37 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of a 5% CO2 in air. After 24 hours, the medium was replaced with 5 ml of agar overlay medium consisting of 10% FCS, Eagle's MEM medium and 1.5% agar. Glass tubes (n = 8) filled with the test materials were placed at the center of the agar, and incubated for 24 hours in 5% CO2 in air at 37 degrees C. After 24 hours of incubation, the cover glass was removed and the cells were fixed in 10% neutral formalin and then stained by H.E. to differentiate the areas of affected and unaffected cells beneath the test specimens. The affected area was quantitatively determined using an image analysis system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)