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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Real-time Imaging of Leukotriene B4 Mediated Cell Migration and BLT1 Interactions with β-arrestin
Published on: December 23, 2010
Sensitizing effects of leukotriene B4 on intradental primary afferents
Sandra Madison1, Eric A Whitsel, Heberto Suarez-Roca
1Department of Endodontics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450 USA Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450 USA Department of the Dental Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450 USA.
Abstract:
Previous studies have established that leukotriene B4 (LTB4) sensitizes cutaneous nociceptors. In this study the effects of LTB4 on spontaneous and stimulus-evoked nerve activity from primary afferents innervating the dentin of canines in adult cats were examined. LTB4 treatment (25 micrograms/ml) significantly enhanced stimulus-evoked intradental nerve activity (INA) for at least 20 min after the removal of the compound from the recording preparation. Teeth treated with LTB4 demonstrated enhanced spontaneous nerve activity following the removal of hypertonic saline used to evoked INA. These findings provide additional evidence that LTB4 is able to sensitize nociceptors and may be a long-lasting hyperalgesic factor which may contribute to pain of pulpal origin.
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