Influence of nanotechnology applied to conventional glass ionomer cement in the control of immuno-inflammatory markers expression: in vitro study

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been suggested as a promising material for different applications. In order to determine the impact of the addition of TiO2 nanotubes on the physicochemical properties of glass ionomer cement (GIC), our research group performed a series of in vitro studies. In general, the results show that the presence of TiO2 nanotubes in GIC composition produces an improvement in the color stability of the material, greater resistance to wear, and greater hardness without altering the morphology of fibroblasts cultured on the GIC prepared with different concentrations of nanotubes. Despite the significant advance in this area, it is not known if the presence of TiO2 nanotubes in the GIC composition can modulate the expression pattern of inflammatory cytokines. So, the present study aims to determine if the presence of TiO2 nanotubes in GIC composition modifies the expression pattern of inflammatory cytokines in culture of fibroblasts (NIH/3T3). Different concentrations of TiO2 nanotubes (3%, 5%, 7% in weight) synthesized by the alkaline method (E20nm) will be incorporated into the GIC [Ketac Molar EasyMix® - (KM)]. Fibroblasts will be cultured on GIC discs with and without nanotubes for 18 and 30 hours and the following tests will be performed: 1. Cell proliferation assay, 2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), 3. Determination of cytokine levels (IL-2 , IL-4, IL-6, IL-8 and INF-³) using multiplex technology. After the results are collected, they will be submitted to statistical analysis, considering the 5% level of significance. (AU)