Reduced cytotoxicity of a root canal sealer through eugenol substitution.

The cytotoxicity of two zinc oxide root canal sealers was investigated in vitro. The sealers were freshly mixed and set for 24 and 168 h. The sealers had identical powders but different liquid components. One (Canals) used eugenol, while the other (Canals-N) used fatty acids. L929 cells were incubated for 4 and 24 h in direct contact with the materials or with an eluate of the materials. The toxicity was evaluated using the radiochromium release assay. In the direct exposure assay, both sealers were cytotoxic when freshly prepared or after 24 h of setting. After 1 wk of setting, Canals was still toxic, while Canals-N was not significantly different from the control in the 4-h assay. In the elution assay the materials showed very low cytotoxicity. Only the eluate from freshly prepared Canals was clearly cytotoxic after 24 h. The liquid of Canals-N was clearly less cytotoxic than liquid from Canals. The results showed that the cytotoxicity of a root canal sealer can be reduced by replacing eugenol with fatty acids.

Immunogenicity of fatty acid anilides in rabbits and the pathogenesis of the Spanish toxic oil syndrome.

Fatty acid anilides, the major xenobiotic found in the cooking oils responsible for the Spanish toxic oil syndrome, are immunogenic for rabbits as ascertained by a skin test reaction, the characterization of specific antibodies against anilides and the immunofluorescent detection of 'anilide dependent antigens' in tissue slices from treated animals.