Journal of Dental Research, Vol 65, 1125-1132, Copyright © 1986 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Comparative effects of local anesthetic preparations on gingival fibroblasts of the rat
R. B. Johnson and C. M. Dowse
Cultures of rat gingival fibroblasts were exposed to various dilutions of
lidocaine hydrochloride (Xylocaine), mepivacaine hydrochloride
(Carbocaine), and prilocaine hydrochloride (Citanest). All three
anesthetics produced cell-rounding and detachment from the substrate, which
varied depending on the anesthetic, its concentration in the medium, and
the duration of exposure (p less than 0.001). Effects were not pH-dependent
in the range of 7.0-7.4 and were not modified by epinephrine in the
concentration normally present in commercially prepared anesthetic
solutions. Prilocaine produced morphological changes at a greater rate and
at a lower concentration than did lidocaine or mepivacaine (p less than
0.001). The effects elicited by prilocaine were irreversible, since
prolonged exposures to it resulted in various toxic effects: (1) detachment
of the cells from the substrate, and (2) development of pyknotic nuclei and
circumferential halos in cells that remained attached. The study strongly
suggested that prilocaine has the potential to be more toxic to fibroblasts
than either mepivacaine or lidocaine, a situation of potential clinical
importance.
