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Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells

Received: 4 September 2023     Accepted: 25 September 2023     Published: 9 October 2023
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Abstract

Statins, specifically hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors (HMG-Co-A), are well-recognized for their capacity to reduce plasma cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, a comprehensive investigation into the biocompatibility of Simvastatin with human dental pulp cells has been somewhat lacking. The principal objective of this study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the effects of varying concentrations of Simvastatin on critical aspects such as cell attachment, proliferation, toxicity, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis in normal human dental pulp cells. To execute this, dental pulp cells derived from healthy human pulp tissue were subjected to Simvastatin treatments at concentrations ranging from 1 µmol/L to 100 µmol/L, with a control group at 0 µmol/L. The evaluation encompassed an assessment of cell attachment at a 16-hour interval. Subsequent investigations spanned proliferation rates and cytotoxicity assessments conducted at 7, 14, and 21 days. Additional analyses included cell cycle progression and apoptotic events at 1- and 3 days post-treatment. The statistical analysis relied on ANOVA, with a significance threshold set at p-values of ≤0.05. The results yielded several noteworthy findings. Notably, a concentration of 25 µmol/L demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant enhancement (p < 0.001) in cell attachment efficiency. However, it became evident that all tested concentrations of Simvastatin led to a marked reduction in the proliferation rate (p < 0.001) and a concurrent increase in cytotoxicity (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of cell cycle progression and apoptosis revealed a progressive and statistically significant increase with the passage of time (p < 0.001). In summary, the outcomes of this investigation underscore a prominent adverse effect of Simvastatin on normal human dental pulp cells. Specifically, this statin appears to detrimentally influence cell proliferation and overall cell viability through the induction of apoptosis, as indicated by the findings of this study.

Published in International Journal of Materials Science and Applications (Volume 12, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11
Page(s) 59-66
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Simvastatin, Human Dental Pulp Cells, Toxicity, Apoptosis

References
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  • APA Style

    Kanwal Maheshwari, Vijay Maheshwari, Laisheng Chou. (2023). Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells. International Journal of Materials Science and Applications, 12(5), 59-66. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11

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    ACS Style

    Kanwal Maheshwari; Vijay Maheshwari; Laisheng Chou. Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells. Int. J. Mater. Sci. Appl. 2023, 12(5), 59-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11

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    AMA Style

    Kanwal Maheshwari, Vijay Maheshwari, Laisheng Chou. Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells. Int J Mater Sci Appl. 2023;12(5):59-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11,
      author = {Kanwal Maheshwari and Vijay Maheshwari and Laisheng Chou},
      title = {Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells},
      journal = {International Journal of Materials Science and Applications},
      volume = {12},
      number = {5},
      pages = {59-66},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmsa.20231205.11},
      abstract = {Statins, specifically hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors (HMG-Co-A), are well-recognized for their capacity to reduce plasma cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, a comprehensive investigation into the biocompatibility of Simvastatin with human dental pulp cells has been somewhat lacking. The principal objective of this study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the effects of varying concentrations of Simvastatin on critical aspects such as cell attachment, proliferation, toxicity, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis in normal human dental pulp cells. To execute this, dental pulp cells derived from healthy human pulp tissue were subjected to Simvastatin treatments at concentrations ranging from 1 µmol/L to 100 µmol/L, with a control group at 0 µmol/L. The evaluation encompassed an assessment of cell attachment at a 16-hour interval. Subsequent investigations spanned proliferation rates and cytotoxicity assessments conducted at 7, 14, and 21 days. Additional analyses included cell cycle progression and apoptotic events at 1- and 3 days post-treatment. The statistical analysis relied on ANOVA, with a significance threshold set at p-values of ≤0.05. The results yielded several noteworthy findings. Notably, a concentration of 25 µmol/L demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant enhancement (p < 0.001) in cell attachment efficiency. However, it became evident that all tested concentrations of Simvastatin led to a marked reduction in the proliferation rate (p < 0.001) and a concurrent increase in cytotoxicity (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of cell cycle progression and apoptosis revealed a progressive and statistically significant increase with the passage of time (p < 0.001). In summary, the outcomes of this investigation underscore a prominent adverse effect of Simvastatin on normal human dental pulp cells. Specifically, this statin appears to detrimentally influence cell proliferation and overall cell viability through the induction of apoptosis, as indicated by the findings of this study.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Simvastatin on Human Dental Pulp Cells
    AU  - Kanwal Maheshwari
    AU  - Vijay Maheshwari
    AU  - Laisheng Chou
    Y1  - 2023/10/09
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11
    T2  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
    JF  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
    JO  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
    SP  - 59
    EP  - 66
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2643
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20231205.11
    AB  - Statins, specifically hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors (HMG-Co-A), are well-recognized for their capacity to reduce plasma cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, a comprehensive investigation into the biocompatibility of Simvastatin with human dental pulp cells has been somewhat lacking. The principal objective of this study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the effects of varying concentrations of Simvastatin on critical aspects such as cell attachment, proliferation, toxicity, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis in normal human dental pulp cells. To execute this, dental pulp cells derived from healthy human pulp tissue were subjected to Simvastatin treatments at concentrations ranging from 1 µmol/L to 100 µmol/L, with a control group at 0 µmol/L. The evaluation encompassed an assessment of cell attachment at a 16-hour interval. Subsequent investigations spanned proliferation rates and cytotoxicity assessments conducted at 7, 14, and 21 days. Additional analyses included cell cycle progression and apoptotic events at 1- and 3 days post-treatment. The statistical analysis relied on ANOVA, with a significance threshold set at p-values of ≤0.05. The results yielded several noteworthy findings. Notably, a concentration of 25 µmol/L demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant enhancement (p < 0.001) in cell attachment efficiency. However, it became evident that all tested concentrations of Simvastatin led to a marked reduction in the proliferation rate (p < 0.001) and a concurrent increase in cytotoxicity (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of cell cycle progression and apoptosis revealed a progressive and statistically significant increase with the passage of time (p < 0.001). In summary, the outcomes of this investigation underscore a prominent adverse effect of Simvastatin on normal human dental pulp cells. Specifically, this statin appears to detrimentally influence cell proliferation and overall cell viability through the induction of apoptosis, as indicated by the findings of this study.
    VL  - 12
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Restorative Sciences and Biomaterials, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, United States

  • Infuse Dental, Crown Point, United States

  • Department of Restorative Sciences and Biomaterials, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, United States

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