An in vitro evaluation of St. Thomas cardioplegia solution as storage media to preserve periodontal ligament cell viability.

Background: The best treatment for an avulsed tooth is immediate replantation. If this is not possible, an efficient storage medium is required for the maintenance of the viability of the periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Various synthetic and natural solutions are used as storage media for avulsed teeth. Thus, the purpose of the study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of St. Thomas cardioplegia solution, Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), and normal saline in maintaining the periodontal cell viability of avulsed teeth.

Materials and methods: Fifty-nine mature premolars extracted for orthodontic therapeutic purposes were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the storage medium: St. Thomas Cardioplegia Solution, HBSS, saline, positive control, and negative control. After extraction, the teeth were placed in the storage medium for 45 min and then the scrapings of the PDL were collected in falcon tubes containing collagenase enzyme in 2.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline, incubated for 30 min, and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 rpm. The acquired PDL cells have been stained with 0.4% trypan blue stain and observed under a light microscope.

Results: Results were statistically analyzed using the One-way ANOVA test (P ≤ 0.05) and a pairwise comparison of viable PDL cells was done using the post hoc Tukey test. The maximum number of viable PDL cells were found in HBSS, followed by St. Thomas cardioplegia solution and normal saline.

Conclusion: The St. Thomas cardioplegia solution can be advocated as an alternative storage medium for avulsed teeth based on its efficacy in maintaining viable PDL cells.