title: Attenuation of pro-inflammatory neuropeptide levels produced by a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor in an animal model of chronic temporomandibular joint inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the neurogenic effects of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, rofecoxib, in an animal model of persistent inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Arthritis was induced within the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by placing complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) within the superior joint space of the TMJ in adult male rats. The CFA animals were divided into 2 groups, with 1 group given the COX-2 inhibitor, rofecoxib, on days 21 through 28. Tissues were taken from experimental and control animals 4 weeks post-injection and analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The inflammatory-related neuropeptide, immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRPi), was assayed from both the TMJ tissues and the trigeminal brain stem subnucleus caudalis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CGRPi content was significantly increased in TMJ tissues within the untreated CFA group (72%) and was found to be effectively no different between the CFA/COX-2 group and controls. Trigeminal brain stem subnucleus caudalis CGRPi levels were not different between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that use of an inhibitor selective for the inducible form of cyclooxygenase enzyme, COX-2, may significantly attenuate the neurogenic component in an inflammatory TMJ animal model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA. bhutchins@tambcd.edu
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.forename: Hemandra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spears
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D020078:Neurogenic Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013450:Sulfones; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D014275:Trigeminal Caudal Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007783:Lactones; D013450:Sulfones; C116926:rofecoxib; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide