NPY Regulation of Nociceptors in Clinical Inflammation

The ongoing studies in rats indicate that a sympathetically-derived neuropeptide, neuropeptide Y (NPY), potently inhibits the activity of the capsaicin-sensative class of nociceptors (i.e., "pain" neurons). It is not know whether these results, generated from rodent studies, occur in human tissues under normal or inflamed conditions. We plan to test the hypothesis that NPY inhibits the initiation of neurogenic inflammation, as measured by reduced release of substance P, from capsaicin-sensitive class of petidergic neurons innervating normal and inflamed dental pulp. Such actions would be physiologically and clinically significant, since inhibition of exocytosis from peripheral terminals of nociceptive primary afferent fibers would likely alter neurogenic inflammation, local vasodilation and , possibly pain. Our research strategy takes advantage of a uniquely innervated tissue: dental pulp. Application of any physiologic stimulus to human dental pulp, including thermal, osmotic, chemical or mechanical, produces only pain. Thus, virtually all sensory neurons that innervate pulp appear to be nociceptors. Accordingly, application of drugs to pulpal sensory neurons targets a population of sensory neurons consisting predominantly of nociceptors.

The research questions are as follows:

1. Determine the capsaicin concentration-response curve from evoking the release of immunioreactive substance P (iSP) from normal and inflamed dental pulp.
2. Determine the effect of NPY on altering basal and capsaisin-evoked release of iSP from normal and inflamed dental pulp.

We will evaluate the hypothesis that NPY inhibits capsaicin-sensitive neurons in humans using microdialysis probes implanted into anesthetized dental pulp, with release of immunoreactive substance P (iSP) as our dependent measure. This study will include patients who have elected to have a root canal procedure performed or to have a tooth extracted.