The effect of glutamate-evoked masseter muscle pain on the human jaw-stretch reflex differs in men and women.
OBJECTIVE
To compare jaw-stretch reflex responses in male and female subjects and to determine whether injection of glutamate into the masseter muscle facilitates these responses in both sexes.


METHODS
Jaw-stretch reflex responses were evoked with a muscle stretcher, and pain intensity was scored by 11 men and 13 women before and after the injection of glutamate (1.0 mol/L, 0.2 ml) into the masseter muscle. The subjects rated glutamate-evoked pain intensity on a visual analog scale.


RESULTS
Baseline jaw-stretch reflex responses were larger and glutamate injections into the masseter muscle were significantly more painful in women than in men, however, glutamate significantly facilitated jaw-stretch reflex responses in men but not in women.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that there is a significant sex-related difference in human jaw-stretch reflex responses and their modulation by painful stimuli. Since one possible function of facilitated jaw-stretch reflex responses during jaw muscle pain may be to reduce jaw mobility and thus protect against further exacerbation of an existing injury, the finding of a sex-related difference in modulation of jaw-stretch reflex responses may prove to be important in clarifying why the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders is greater in women than in men.
Cairns
Brian E
BE
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Wang
Kelun
K
Hu
James W
JW
Sessle
Barry J
BJ
Arendt-Nielsen
Lars
L
Svensson
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000187:drug effects*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012026:Reflex, Stretch / Q000187:drug effects*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018698:Glutamic Acid