title: Differences between tooth stimulation and capsaicin-induced neurogenic vasodilatation in human gingiva.
abstract: Animal experiments have shown that the application of capsaicin to oral mucosa leads to a neurogenic inflammation associated with blood flow elevations in gingivomucosal tissues. In this investigation, we measured the tooth stimulation and capsaicin-evoked blood flow responses in maxillary gingiva in humans to study whether axon-reflex-mediated vasodilatation crosses the midline of the maxilla. The vasoactive reactions were mapped by laser Doppler imaging. Unilateral stimulation of alveolar mucosa and attached gingiva by capsaicin evoked a distinct neurogenic vasodilatation in ipsilateral gingiva, which rapidly attenuated at the midline. Capsaicin stimulation of alveolar mucosa provoked clear inflammatory reactions. In contrast to capsaicin stimuli, tooth stimulation produced symmetrical vasodilatations bilaterally in the gingiva. The ipsilateral responses were significantly smaller during tooth stimulation than during capsaicin stimuli. Analysis of these data suggests that capsaicin-induced inflammatory reactions in gingivomucosal tissues do not cross the midline in the anterior maxilla. The enhanced reaction found during stimulation of alveolar mucosa indicates that alveolar mucosa is more sensitive to chemical irritants than attached gingiva.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, PO Box 41, 00014 University of Helsinki and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland. pentii.kemppainen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.forename: N-L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Avellan
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Handwerker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Forster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005881:Gingiva / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000502:physiology; D007509:Irritants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008437:Maxilla; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D020078:Neurogenic Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014098:Toothache / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007509:Irritants; D002211:Capsaicin