Biomaterial Database

Decreasing intradental nerve activity in the cat with potassium and divalent cations. 1991

K Markowitz, and G Bilotto, and S Kim

Department of Endodontics, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.

Nerve activity was recorded from deep dentinal cavities in the canine teeth to assess the possible influence of potassium and divalent cations in decreasing this activity in hypersensitive teeth. The decreased activity after the topical application of 0.756 mol/l KCl to the cavity was primarily due to the cation. KCl elicited a biphasic response from intradental nerves, an initial transient excitatory response followed by a prolonged inhibitory period. During the inhibitory period 3 mol/l NaCl, an effective excitatory stimulus, failed to evoke intradental nerve activity. However, with time the response to 3 mol/l NaCl eventually recovered to its previous control level. Close, intra-arterial injection of KCl showed the same biphasic response and time-course of intradental nerve activity as with topical application. Therefore, whether KCl was applied topically or injected its effectiveness in altering the nerve activity was similar. Pretreatment of the dentinal cavity with CaCl2, MgCl2 or SrCl2 greatly reduced the response of intradental nerves to KCl. Therefore these divalent cations seem to have a depressant action on pulpal nerve fibres. The mechanism of action of KCl seems to be an alteration of K+ concentration immediately surrounding the intradental nerves which presumably depolarizes the nerve fibre membrane and elicits an initial firing of action potentials. Because of the persisting high levels of extracellular potassium a sustained depolarized state occurs that results in an inactivation of the action potential. Divalent cations appear to depress the excitability of the nerve cell membrane without altering membrane potential. Such ionic agents could be used in conjunction with KCl as a possible treatment for hypersensitive teeth.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007269	Injections, Intra-Arterial	Delivery of drugs into an artery.	Injections, Intraarterial,Intra-Arterial Injections,Intraarterial Injections,Injection, Intra-Arterial,Injection, Intraarterial,Injections, Intra Arterial,Intra Arterial Injections,Intra-Arterial Injection,Intraarterial Injection
D008274	Magnesium	A metallic element that has the atomic symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and atomic weight 24.31. It is important for the activity of many enzymes, especially those involved in OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION.
D009991	Oscillometry	The measurement of frequency or oscillation changes.	Oscillometries
D011188	Potassium	An element in the alkali group of metals with an atomic symbol K, atomic number 19, and atomic weight 39.10. It is the chief cation in the intracellular fluid of muscle and other cells. Potassium ion is a strong electrolyte that plays a significant role in the regulation of fluid volume and maintenance of the WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE.
D002118	Calcium	A basic element found in nearly all tissues. It is a member of the alkaline earth family of metals with the atomic symbol Ca, atomic number 20, and atomic weight 40. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and combines with phosphorus to form calcium phosphate in the bones and teeth. It is essential for the normal functioning of nerves and muscles and plays a role in blood coagulation (as factor IV) and in many enzymatic processes.	Coagulation Factor IV,Factor IV,Blood Coagulation Factor IV,Calcium-40,Calcium 40,Factor IV, Coagulation
D002413	Cations, Divalent	Positively charged atoms, radicals or groups of atoms with a valence of plus 2, which travel to the cathode or negative pole during electrolysis.	Divalent Cations
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D003804	Dentin	The hard portion of the tooth surrounding the pulp, covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root, which is harder and denser than bone but softer than enamel, and is thus readily abraded when left unprotected. (From Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992)	Dentine,Dentines,Dentins
D005071	Evoked Potentials	Electrical responses recorded from nerve, muscle, SENSORY RECEPTOR, or area of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM following stimulation. They range from less than a microvolt to several microvolts. The evoked potential can be auditory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, AUDITORY), somatosensory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, SOMATOSENSORY), visual (EVOKED POTENTIALS, VISUAL), or motor (EVOKED POTENTIALS, MOTOR), or other modalities that have been reported.	Event Related Potential,Event-Related Potentials,Evoked Potential,N100 Evoked Potential,P50 Evoked Potential,N1 Wave,N100 Evoked Potentials,N2 Wave,N200 Evoked Potentials,N3 Wave,N300 Evoked Potentials,N4 Wave,N400 Evoked Potentials,P2 Wave,P200 Evoked Potentials,P50 Evoked Potentials,P50 Wave,P600 Evoked Potentials,Potentials, Event-Related,Event Related Potentials,Event-Related Potential,Evoked Potential, N100,Evoked Potential, N200,Evoked Potential, N300,Evoked Potential, N400,Evoked Potential, P200,Evoked Potential, P50,Evoked Potential, P600,Evoked Potentials, N100,Evoked Potentials, N200,Evoked Potentials, N300,Evoked Potentials, N400,Evoked Potentials, P200,Evoked Potentials, P50,Evoked Potentials, P600,N1 Waves,N2 Waves,N200 Evoked Potential,N3 Waves,N300 Evoked Potential,N4 Waves,N400 Evoked Potential,P2 Waves,P200 Evoked Potential,P50 Waves,P600 Evoked Potential,Potential, Event Related,Potential, Event-Related,Potential, Evoked,Potentials, Event Related,Potentials, Evoked,Potentials, N400 Evoked,Related Potential, Event,Related Potentials, Event,Wave, N1,Wave, N2,Wave, N3,Wave, N4,Wave, P2,Wave, P50,Waves, N1,Waves, N2,Waves, N3,Waves, N4,Waves, P2,Waves, P50
D000200	Action Potentials	Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.	Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential