[Expression of Nav1.8 in human dental pulp].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between dental pain and Nav1.8 expression level by detecting the expression of voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.8 in normal human dental pulps and painful pulp tissues.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of Nav1.8 in normal human dental pulp and painful dental pulp.


RESULTS
Nav1.8 expressed in dental pulps and the expression level of Nav1.8 increased significantly in painful dental pulps in comparison with normal dental tissues. The immunohistochemistry results revealed that Nav1.8 expression level in painful dental issue was 0.547 ± 0.049 in relative intensity,and in normal dental issue 0.356 ± 0.058 (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed similar results of 0.234 ± 0.030 vs 0.108 ± 0.012. RT-PCR results indicated that Nav1.8 mRNA expression level in painful dental issue was 7.130 ± 2.471 and in normal dental issue was 1.024 ± 0.295 (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression level of Nav1.8 increased significantly in painful dental pulp tissue, suggesting that Nav1.8 may play an important role in the development and transmission of dental pain.
Department of Preventive Dentistry, School of Stomatology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
Ran
R
Tao
Yong
Y
Jiang
D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014098:Toothache / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D012333:RNA, Messenger