INFLUENCE OF IONOTROPIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST ON Fos PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN MEDULLA OBLONGATA OF THE RAT AFTER MECHANICAL DENTAL PULP EXPOSURE / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

To assess the roles of glutamate and its ionotropic receptor in processing noxious sensory input from dental pulp,glutamate NMDA receptor subtype antagonist,MK-801 and non-NMDA receptor subtype antagonist,CNQX were administrated separately into left lateral cerebral ventricle prior to exposing pulp cavity of left maxillary first molar tooth.The number of Fos-positive neurons in medulla oblongata was measured and compared with that of the group with simple exposure of dental after same survival time pulp.Fos protein expression was reduced dose-dependently by an administration of MK-801,but CNQX had little effect.The results showed that glutamate may be an excitatory transmitter of noxious dental pulp sensory input to neurons in medulla oblongata.In pain nodel of mechanical exposing dental pulp,NMDA receptor subtype has an important role in this process.