Substance P immunoreactivity in periodontal tissues during orthodontic tooth movement

Neurotransmitters, such as substance P (SP), may mediate the biological response to mechanical stress applied to teeth during orthodontic treatment. This hypothesis was investigated immunohistochemically on maxillae of cats which had one maxillary canine tipped distally for a period of time ranging from 1 h to 14 days. Horizontal histological sections 5 microns thick, collected on adhesive tape while still frozen, then freeze-dried, were stained by an immunoglobulin-enzyme bridge method using rabbit anti-SP polyclonal antibodies. The specificity of the staining was evaluated either by using the serum of non-immunized rabbits in lieu of anti-SP serum, or by pre-incubating the anti-SP serum with the antigen. Only sparse SP-like immunoreactivity was detected in the dental pulp, near or in the walls of blood vessels, or in the periodontal ligament (PDL) of unstressed canines. However, the density of neuronal elements exhibiting positive staining for SP appeared to increase markedly after application of an orthodontic force. This phenomenon occurred rapidly (3 h) in the dental pulp, but later in the PDL (24 h to 14 days), mainly at compression sites. These results demonstrate that the stimulation of periodontal nerve terminals by means of orthodontic forces may induce the peripheral release of the neurotransmitter SP, suggesting that it may be an initial trigger for a biochemical cascade which comprises the activation of various types of PDL cells.