In vitro study of the effect of sodium hypochlorite and glutaraldehyde on substrate adherence capacity of macrophages.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro effect of two irrigation solutions used in endodontics (5.25% sodium hypochlorite and 1% glutaraldehyde) on substrate adherence capacity of macrophages to determine if these substances can alter macrophage function. Inflammatory macrophages were obtained from Wistar rats and resuspended in RPMI-1640 medium. Substrate adherence capacity assays were carried out in Eppendorf tubes for 15 min of incubation at 37 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. The adherence index was calculated. Results showed that both sodium hypochlorite and glutaraldehyde significantly decreased the substrate adherence capacity of inflammatory macrophages. To take into account that adhesion is the first step in the phagocytic process of macrophages and in antigen presentation, sodium hypochlorite and glutaraldehyde could inhibit macrophage function and reduce inflammatory reactions in periapical tissues when they are used in root-canal therapy.