Melatonin as an Agent for Direct Pulp-Capping Treatment

Julia Guerrero-Gironés, Antonia Alcaina-Lorente, Clara Ortiz-Ruiz, Eduardo Ortiz-Ruiz, María P. Pecci-Lloret, Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Lozano, Carlos M. Martínez and Antonio José Ortiz-Ruiz
Additional contact information
Julia Guerrero-Gironés: Special Care and Gerodontology Unit, IMIB-Arrixaca, Campus Regional de Excelencia Internacional “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30008 Murcia, Spain
Antonia Alcaina-Lorente: Department of Integral Pediatric Dentistry, University of Murcia, 30008 Murcia, Spain
Clara Ortiz-Ruiz: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine and Biosanitary Research Murcian Institute (IMIB), University of Murcia, 30120 Murcia, Spain
Eduardo Ortiz-Ruiz: Department of Histopathology, University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
María P. Pecci-Lloret: Special Care and Gerodontology Unit, IMIB-Arrixaca, Campus Regional de Excelencia Internacional “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30008 Murcia, Spain
Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Lozano: Special Care and Gerodontology Unit, IMIB-Arrixaca, Campus Regional de Excelencia Internacional “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30008 Murcia, Spain
Carlos M. Martínez: Experimental Pathology Unit, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia-Arrixaca, IMIB-Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
Antonio José Ortiz-Ruiz: Department of Integral Pediatric Dentistry, University of Murcia, 30008 Murcia, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Melatonin plays an essential role in the regulation of bone growth. The actions that melatonin exerts on odontoblasts may be similar to its action on osteoblasts. This research aimed to evaluate the pulp response to melatonin used for direct pulp capping to evaluate the antioxidant effect of melatonin administered orally and its influence on dental pulp. Direct pulp capping was performed on the upper molars of Sprague Dawley rats using melatonin or Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA). The study groups were: MTA; Melatonin; MTA + Melatonin administered orally; and Melatonin + Melatonin administered orally. In the latter two groups, the animals drank water dosed with melatonin ad libitum (10 mg/100 mL). After 30 days, the animals were sacrificed, and 5 ml of blood, the kidneys, and the liver were extracted in order to evaluate oxidative stress using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances testing (TBARS). Fragments of the maxilla containing the study molars were prepared for histological evaluation. The degree of pulp inflammation and pulp necrosis, the presence of reparative dentin and dentin bridging the pulp chamber, the presence and regularity of the odontoblastic layer, and the presence of pulp fibrosis were evaluated. No significant differences were found between the four study groups for any of the studied histological variables. The oral administration of melatonin did not modify the local effects of MTA or melatonin on dental pulp, or reduce basal-level oxidative stress. The effect of melatonin on pulp is similar to that of MTA and may be used as an agent for direct pulp capping.

Keywords: direct pulp capping; melatonin; mineral trioxide aggregate; dentin bridge; hematoxylin–eosin; oxidative stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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