Effects of ciprofloxacin-containing antimicrobial scaffolds on dental pulp stem cell viability—In vitro studies

• We tested the effect of CIP release on cell viability and antimicrobial properties.
• Scaffolds containing CIP at concentrations below 5 wt.% were not cytotoxic.
• Scaffolds containing 2.5 wt.% CIP or less did not hinder cell proliferation.
• CIP-scaffolds (1 and 2.5 wt.%) demonstrated significant antimicrobial properties.

ObjectiveA combination of antibiotics, including but not limited to metronidazole (MET) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), has been indicated to eradicate bacteria in necrotic immature permanent teeth prior to regenerative procedures. It has been shown clinically that antibiotic pastes may lead to substantial stem cell death. The aim of this study was to synthesise scaffolds containing various concentrations of CIP to enhance cell viability while preserving antimicrobial properties.DesignPolydioxanone (PDS)-based electrospun scaffolds were processed with decreasing CIP concentrations (25–1 wt.%) and morphologically evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytotoxicity assays were performed to determine whether the amount of CIP released from the scaffolds would lead to human dental pulp stem cell (hDPSC) toxicity. Similarly, WST-1 assays were performed to evaluate the impact of CIP release on hDPSC proliferation. Pure PDS scaffolds and saturated double antibiotic solution MET/CIP (DAP) served as both positive and negative controls, respectively. Antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis (Ef) was tested.ResultsA significant decrease in hDPSC’ viability at concentrations 5–25 wt.% was observed. However, concentrations below 5 wt.% did not impair cell viability. Data from the WST-1 assays indicated no detrimental impact on cell proliferation for scaffolds containing 2.5 wt.% CIP or less. Significant antimicrobial properties were seen for CIP-scaffolds at lower concentrations (i.e., 1 and 2.5 wt.%).ConclusionThe obtained data demonstrated that a reduced concentration of CIP incorporated into PDS-based scaffolds maintains its antimicrobial properties while enhancing viability and proliferation of dental pulp stem cells.