Clinical implications of the growth-suppressive effects of chlorhexidine at low and high concentrations on human gingival fibroblasts and changes in morphology

Abstract

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is considered the gold standard in the antiseptic treatment of the oral cavity, due to its high antibactericidal capability. With the use of CHX mouth-rinse formulations, the bacteriostatic effects are maintained by the adsorption and prolonged release of CHX from oral surfaces. It was believed that antiplaque formation ability and the lack of systemic toxicity of CHX render it an excellent antiseptic in post-surgical dental treatment. However, recent studies have demonstrated that CHX exerts cytotoxic effects on human periodontal tissues, such as gingival fibroblasts and other cells. It also reduces gingival fibroblast adhesion to fibronectin and prevents fibroblast attachment to root surfaces, thus interfering with periodontal regeneration. In this study, using human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), we investigated effects of CHX on the growth, morphology and proliferation of HGFs. We found that a low concentration (0.002%) of CHX does not interfere with the proliferation and morphology of HGFs. However, a higher concentration (≥0.04%) of CHX inhibits cell proliferation and to a certain extent, affects cell morphology in a time-dependent manner. A decrease in the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and the accumulation of cells in the S phase following treatment with CHX also occurred in a dose-dependent manner. We thus concluded that CHX only at the concentration of 0.002% does not interfere with HGF growth, that is so critical to wound healing. Thus, the application of CHX in the post-surgical antiseptic treatment of the oral cavity should be limited.

Development of Biocomposite Polymeric Systems Loaded with Antibacterial Nanoparticles for the Coating of Polypropylene Biomaterials

“…However, cytotoxicity of chlorhexidine to eukaryotic cells is well known [ 33 , 40 ]. It was demonstrated that this antiseptic could reduce the growth pattern of cultured cells, as well as provoke morphological modifications on fibroblasts [ 41 ], which corroborates our cell viability results. The main reason for this effect is that chlorhexidine can also disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane of eukaryotic cells, even when used at very low concentrations [ 42 ].…”

Separation of functionally divergent muscle precursor cell populations from porcine juvenile muscles by discontinuous Percoll density gradient centrifugation

“…Furthermore, compared with SP50/70, mixed P40/70 and, to a lesser extent, SP40/50 show a higher sensitivity to mechanical stress induced by medium change reflecting weaker adhesion to the surface. A sharp CI drop after medium change has also been observed in xCELLigence growth kinetic assays performed with other cells types, such as gingival fibroblasts and breast cancer stem cells [ 71 , 72 ]. Since mixed P40/70 includes cells of SP40/50 and SP50/70 (see Fig.…”

Antibacterial Activity and Impact of Different Antiseptics on Biofilm-Contaminated Implant Surfaces

“…Similar results were also observed for the 37% OPA and 1% CHX gel formulations, further supporting the possible use of antiseptic gels for the treatment of infected implant surfaces, since gel formulations may limit the accidental contact of the antiseptic agent to the surrounding tissues. CHX has however also been shown to possess cytotoxic effect against host tissues [27][28][29][30], whereas OPA's cytotoxic properties have been highlighted by a single study and, hence, warrants further investigation [31].…”