Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Candida-associated denture stomatitis is a recurrent and debilitating oral mucosal disease. Development of anticandidal denture materials represents a promising strategy to manage this condition. We have previously shown that miconazole incorporated in methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymerized diurethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) denture materials has long-term anticandidal activity. In this study, we examined the ability of culture medium conditioned with drug-free- or miconazole-MAA-UDMA discs to prevent Candida infection in an in vitro oral epithelial cell/Candida albicans coculture system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Candida albicans (C. albicans)-induced OKF6/TERT-2 cell damage was quantified by the release of lactate dehydrogenase from epithelial cells, cytokine production was quantified using protein cytokine arrays, and the expression of C. albicans genes was measured by RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Candida albicans had limited growth with altered expression levels of secreted aspartyl proteinase-2 and -5 in culture medium conditioned by miconazole-MAA-UDMA discs. Significantly, the ability of C. albicans to induce oral epithelial cell damage and trigger epithelial proinflammatory cytokine production was also inhibited by miconazole disc conditioned media. CONCLUSION: Miconazole released from MAA-UDMA denture materials effectively prevents the development of candidal infection in an in vitro oral epithelial system. Further characterization of this drug-rechargeable denture material is warranted.