Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on the activity of periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) and the expression of cytokines. METHODS: Twelve wisdom teeth extracted due to orthodontics treatment were selected and prepared into 5 mm×4 mm root pieces, then divided into EDTA group, HA group, EDTA+HA group and untreated group according to different treatment methods. They were placed in the well plate and PDLFs inoculated on the root piece. After 24 and 48 h of inoculation, the cell proliferation of each group was detected by MTT assay. The adhesion of PDLFs was observed under microscope. The inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1β and TNF-α) levels produced by PDLFs were determined by ELLISA and Western Blot. SPSS 22.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: After 24 h and 48 h inoculation, all the treatments promoted cell proliferation and adhesion of PDLFs compared with the untreated group, and the combined treatment promoted cell proliferation and adhesion significantly better than single treatment (P<0.05). The cell proliferation and adhesion effect of EDTA group and HA group increased with the inoculation time, without significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). The results of ELLISA and Western blot showed that compared with the untreated group, the treatment groups inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, and promoted the expression of IL-8, and the effect of EDTA+HA group was much more significant(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EDTA+HA can significantly promote the growth of periodontal ligament fibroblasts and inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines, which may be related to its ability to enhance the adhesion of fibroblasts and then improve their viability.

Key words: EDTA, Hyaluronic acid, Periodontal ligament fibroblasts, Cell inflammatory factors