title: Vesicular glutamate transporters in axons that innervate the human dental pulp.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) are involved in the transport of transmitter glutamate into synaptic vesicles and are used as markers for glutamatergic neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess which types of VGLUTs are involved in the glutamate signaling in pulpal axons and to investigate their distribution, we performed light microscopic immunohistochemistry by using antibodies against VGLUT1, VGLUT2, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and Western blot analysis in human dental pulp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VGLUT1 was expressed in a large number of pulpal axons, especially in the peripheral pulp where the axons branch extensively. The VGLUT1 immunopositive axons showed bead-like appearance, and the majority of these also expressed calcitonin gene-related peptide. VGLUT2 was expressed in few axons throughout the pulp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that VGLUT1 is involved mainly in the glutamate-mediated signaling of pain, primarily at the level of the peripheral pulp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Anatomy and Neurobiology, BK21, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Kyoo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Sung Kuk
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Su Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Eun Sun
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sun Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yong Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000294:innervation*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1 / Q000032:analysis; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2 / Q000032:analysis; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493476:SLC17A6 protein, human; C493464:SLC17A7 protein, human; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide