• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.10-21
• /
• 1992

The purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of eugenol, capsaicin and demethoxy-NE. Young adult cats, weighing 2.0 to 3.0kg, were used. Each animal was anesthetized (${\alpha}$-chloralose 60mg per kg body weight) and divided into four groups; control, eugenol, capsaicin and demethoxy-NE group. The anterior digastric muscles were exposed and a pair of electrodes was inserted to record the electromyograms. To expose the pulp, each canine teeth was prepared with a low speed bur under cooling and used for recording anterior digastric muscular EMGs evoked by noxious stimulation of dental pulp. To observe effects on jaw opening reflex, inferior alveolar nerve of both sides were exposed for drug application and wire electrodes were inserted in anterior digstric muscle for recording the EMGs. To observe effects on action potential, saphenous nerves of both sides were exposed and three tissue pools were made from surrounding tissue. The most distal pool was used for applying stimulation, the most proximal one for recording of action potential, and the other one for drug application. One side of inferior alveolar nerve and saphenous nerve were used for eugenol, capsaicin, or demethoxy-NE application, the other side of nerve for control experiments(only vehicle application). Anterior digastric muscular EMGs evoked by noxious stimulation of dental pulp were recorded before drug application, immediate after drug application, at 60 and 120 minutes, and 5 days after drug application. Action potentials were recorded before drug application, immediate after 30 minutes drug application, at 30, 60 and 120 minutes after drug had been washed out. The results were as follows; 1. Eugenol had a continuous blocking effect on the anterior digastric muscular EMGs evoked by noxious pulp stimulation and after 5 days, showed completely blocking effect. 2. After 5 days, demethoxy-NE applied to dental pulp had a considerable blocking effect on the jaw opening retlex evoked by noxious stimulation but capsaicin had no significant effect. 3. After 5 days, eugenol group showed the strongest blocking effect among the all experimental groups on the jaw opening reflex evoked by noxious stimulation of dental pulp and capsaicin group showed the weakest blocking effect. 4. Eugenol had a completely blocking effect on the action potential conductivity of peripheral nerve. Capsaicin and demethoxy-NE had the blocking effect on the action potential conductivity of ${\alpha}$-and C-nerve fibers. 5. Capsaicin, demethoxy-NE and eugenol applied to inferior alveolar nerve surppressed the jaw opening reflex evoked by noxious stimulation of dental pulp.