title: Intercellular junctions between odontoblasts as the transmitters of low charge electric current.
abstract: The aim of the work was to demonstrate structures responsible for the conduction of pain impulses with regard to tight junctions after transmission of small charges of electric current. For the experiment, freshly extracted (for orthodontic reasons) teeth were used. Immediately after extraction, low charges of electric current were passed through the teeth and the teeth were fixed. Teeth pulps were prepared for TEM studies. The obtained results were compared to those in a control group. In electron microscopic pictures, intercellular junctions are visible irrespective of the value of the current applied on the approximal surfaces of the cells (between the odontoblasts or between the odontoblasts and the neural fibres) as short callosities of plasmolemma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pre-Clinical Dentistry and Dental Diagnosis, Medical University of Lódź, Poland. alwas@mnc.pl
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Alwas-Danowska
mesh_terms: D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D009970:Orthodontics; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D014081:Tooth Extraction