This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine (CHX), and the glycolic extract of propolis (GEP) as endodontic irrigants and of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2], CHX, or Ca(OH)2 + CHX as intracanal medications on the capacity of the lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Enterococcus faecalis in macrophages' proinflammatory cytokines production. Freshly extracted 108 human single-rooted teeth were used in this study. The LTA of E. faecalis was standardized in double-distilled pyrogen-free water (250 µg/mL) and inoculated into the specimens subdivided into nine subgroups (n = 12). Cultures of murine macrophages (RAW 264.7) were treated with 30 µL of each sample collected from root canals and incubated (37 °C, 5% CO2) for 24 h. Lastly, anti-TNF-α, anti-IL-6, anti-IP-10, anti-MIP-1α, anti-G-CSF, and anti-IL-1β DuoSet kits were used to perform an ELISA assay. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey test (p ≥ 0.05). It was found that 1% NaOCl was the most effective irrigant in reducing the capacity of LTA in cytokines production, followed by 12% GEP and 2% CHX, respectively. Ca(OH)2 + CHX presented the best results when associated with NaOCl or GEP. Thus, NaOCl or GEP associated with Ca(OH)2 + CHX were effective in reducing the capacity of LTA in different macrophages pro-inflammatory cytokines production.
Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis; calcium hydroxide; chlorhexidine; cytokines; lipoteichoic acid; propolis; sodium hypochlorite.