Cytotoxic and nongenotoxic effects of phenolic compounds in human pulp cell cultures

Phenolic compounds are widely used in clinical dentistry as sedatives for the dental pulp, as disinfectants for caries, and as root canal medications. The pathobiological effects of various phenolic compounds on human dental pulp fibroblasts were investigated with Hoechst 33258 fluorescence assay and DNA precipitation assay. All phenolic compounds showed cytotoxicity in Hoechst 33258 fluorescence assay by inhibiting cellular DNA in a concentration-dependent manner. The 50% inhibition concentrations required to decrease the cellular DNA contents by guaiacol, phenol, eugenol, and thymol were 9.8, 4.5, 0.9, and 0.5 mM, respectively. However these phenolic compounds did not cause DNA single-strand breaks in cultured human pulp fibroblasts. These results indicate that phenolic compounds are cytotoxic agents but are without genotoxic effects on human pulp fibroblasts in vitro. However care should be taken to reduce the possibility of pulpal as well as periapical irritations from inadvertent extrusion of these substances in clinical usage.