OBJECTIVETo investigate, in vitro, the effect of cathepsins specific inhibitor N-(trans-epoxysuccinyl)-L-leucine 4-guanidinobutylamide(E-64) on dental endogenous cathepsins and to find its most effective molarity to elevate dentin-resin bonding durability.

METHODSFifty recently extracted human third molars were divided into five groups according to random number table, and treated with different molarity of E-64 as follow: 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 µmol/L. The group 0 µmol/L was control group. Then 20 specimens of dentin-resin composite were fabricated in each group. Half of the specimens were tested after 24 h water storage(37 °C) and the other half were tested after 90 days water storage(37 °C) followed by 3000 cycles'thermocyling(5-55 °C) as aging treatment. Fractured specimens were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).

RESULTSAfter 24 h water storage, no significant differences were found in micro-tensile bond strength(µTBS) of samples between different groups (P > 0.05). However, after ageing treatment, µTBS of the samples in group 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 µmol/L [(18.7 ± 2.7), (20.8 ± 3.4), (18.3 ± 2.8) and (19.1 ± 2.7) MPa] were significantly higher than that in group 0 µmol/L [(15.1 ± 3.0) MPa] (P < 0.05). Only in the group 5.0 µmol/L no significant difference was found between the original and the decreased value of µTBS(P > 0.05), while the µTBS in other groups decreased significantly after aging treatment(P < 0.05). Failure types were almost adhesive and mixed types. Collagens in hybrid layer were less degraded in the groups using E-64 after aging treatment than control group.

CONCLUSIONSE-64 was effective on inhibiting cathepsins activity in dentin, and induced less collagens degradation in smear layer for better dentin-resin bond durability.