Involvement of astrocytes activation in orofacial hyperalgesia induced by experimental tooth movement

• Published in: Orthodontics & craniofacial research 2021-02, Vol.24 (1), p.147-154
• Main Authors: Li, Cui‐Xia, Liu, Jia, Zhou, Kai‐Xiang, Zhao, Wen‐Jun, Zhao, Yan, Jin, Zuo‐Lin, Gu, Ze‐Xu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aspartic acid; Astrocytes; Dentistry; Dorsal horn; experimental tooth movement; fluorocitrate; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Glutamic acid receptors; Glutamic acid receptors (ionotropic); Hyperalgesia; medullary dorsal horn; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors; Nickel; orofacial hyperalgesia; Pain perception; Pain Threshold; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Titanium; Titanium alloys; Western blotting
• ISSN: 1601-6335; 1601-6343
• DOI: 10.1111/ocr.12418

Objective The study aimed to investigate the involvement of astrocytes in the medullary dorsal horn (MDH) in the orofacial hyperalgesia induced by experimental tooth movement (ETM) and related mechanism. Materials and Methods Experimental tooth movement was produced with nickel‐titanium alloy closed‐coil spring fixed between the left maxillary first molar and the left upper incisor. Fluorocitrate was administrated through medullary subarachnoid at 3 days after ETM. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) in masseter cutaneous area was measured. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and c‐Fos in MDH was measured using immunofluoroscence staining. The expression of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and phosphorylated N‐methyl‐D‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor subunit NR1 (p‐NR1) was measured with Western blotting. Results Experimental tooth movement‐induced orofacial hyperalgesia from 1 to 9 days as the PPT was significantly reduced (P