CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF CHLORHEXIDINE AND NYSTATIN ON CULTURED HAMSTER BUCCAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Primary cultures of hamster buccal epithelial cell were used in this study to investigate the potential cytotoxicity of chlorhexidine and nystatin. Following exposure to 0-0.01% of chlorhexidine for 5-60 min, or following exposure to either nystatin suspension or solution ranging from 0-0.1% for 1 h, the viability of hamster buccal epithelial cells was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) hydrolysis and colony-forming efficiency. Chlorhexidine digluconate at concentrations greater than 0.005% was cytotoxic to the cells after a 1 h incubation. However, a 5 min contact with this drug did not cause significant effects when the concentration was less than 0.01%. A linear decrease in survival rate was observed when the cells were exposed to 100-200 mu g/ml (0.01-0.02%) of mystatin solution. The inhibition of colony-forming efficiency by a nystatin suspension (ID50 = 634 mu g/ml) was 8.3-fold lower than that of a nystatin solution (ID50 = 76 mu g/ml); Results of this study suggested that buccal epithelial cells were relatively more resistant to toxic effects of chlorhexidine and nystatin than other cell types.