Activating effects of phenolic compounds on the osteogenic cell line.

We examined four kinds of drugs for dental use for their ability to enhance DNA synthesis and the proliferation activity of cells by means of measuring 3H-thymidine uptake into cells. Three phenolic compounds; guaiacol, eugenol and phenol, and trioxane, the trimer of the paraformaldehyde complex, were examined. The effects of variations in concentration of lower doses of the dental drugs on subsequent uptake of 3H-thymidine were examined in osteogenic cells and fibroblastic cells. Osteogenic cells from human spongy bone, fibroblastic cells from human periodontal ligament, and mouse osteogenic MC3T3-E1 cells were used. 3H-thymidine uptake of osteogenic cells or fibroblastic cells was depressed in a concentration dependent manner by doses over 10(-6) M of the phenolic compounds. Over 10(-6) M, eugenol and guaiacol depressed the uptake of osteogenic cells or fibroblastic cells significantly and depressed it almost completely at doses over 10(-4) M. Phenol depressed the cells significantly over 10(-4) M. Trioxane depressed at all doses from 10(-4) M to 10(-16) M. The phenolic compounds enhanced the uptake of 3H-thymidine in a concentration dependent manner at doses below 10(-8) M of the phenolic compounds. The cells were enhanced in 3H-thymidine uptake maximally at 10(-12) M or 10(-14) M concentrations of the phenolic compounds.