Abstract
Introduction
Pulp calcification (PC) often appears in strong association with nerve fiber bundles,
which indicates the important role of dental nerves in the formation of PC. Additionally,
given that sensory nerves and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) secreted from
sensory nerve fibers are involved in physiological and pathological bone formation,
we aimed to determine whether chronic irritation of sensory nerves can promote the
occurrence of PC.
Methods
A sensory nerve irritation rat model was established via ligation of the inferior
alveolar nerve (IAN), and face grooming behavior was analyzed as a measure of pain
sensation. Two months post-surgery, PC was determined by imaging and histologic analyses.
Results
Rats in the IAN-chronic constriction injury (IAN-CCI) group showed spontaneous pain-associated
behavior after the operations and pain tolerance on the 60th postoperative day. The imaging and histological analysis showed more calcified particles
in the IAN-innervated first and second molars after day 60 of the dental sensory nerve
irritation. These calcified masses had a dentin-like structure that contained sparse,
irregularly oriented tubules. Compared to the control and sham groups, the odontoblasts
located in the periphery of radicular pulp aligned along a thicker layer of predentin;
which expressed more nestin with longer and stouter processes in the IAN-CCI group.
Additionally, more CGRP-positive nerves were observed in the IAN-CCI group.
Conclusions
Irritation of sensory nerves promotes PC formation, and the increased density of CGRP-immunolabeled
fibers probably contributes to this process. This highlights the significance of dental
sensory nerves in the formation of PC.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 07, 2023
Identification
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© 2023 American Association of Endodontists.
