Effect of bioactive glass into mineral trioxide aggregate on the biocompatibility and mineralization potential of dental pulp stem cells

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that bioactive glass (BG) can enhance the formation of hydroxyapatite under simulated body fluid (SBF) conditions when combined with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). This study aims to assess the impact of BG-supplemented MTA on the biocompatibility and mineralization potential of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Methods: We prepared ProRoot MTA (MTA) and MTA supplemented with 2% and 4% BG. Five passages of DPSCs were utilized for the experiments. The DPSCs were subjected to various tests to determine their morphology, viability, cell migration, and adhesion assay. Additionally, mineralization ability was assessed through SBF immersion treatment, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity test, Alizarin red S (ARS) staining, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. Results: The biocompatibility of BG-supplemented MTA was found to be comparable to that of conventional MTA, as demonstrated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, cell migration, adhesion assays, and cell morphology on cement surfaces. Under SBF treatment, MTA supplemented with BG, particularly at a concentration of 4%, exhibited higher mineralization potential than conventional MTA in the ALP activity assay. This was supported by denser ARS staining, increased ALP activity, and higher expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), ALP, and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in the SBF-treated MTABG group. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the biocompatibility of BG-supplemented MTA is similar to that of conventional MTA. Additionally, under SBF treatment, BG-supplemented MTA displayed enhanced mineralization potential, indicating that BG supplementation can augment the mineralization capabilities of MTA.