Inhibition of carrageenan-induced dental inflammatory responses owing to decreased TRPV1 activity by Dexmedetomidine

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is a highly selective agonist of the α2 adrenergic receptor and a common sedative; however, its anti-inflammatory effect has been studied. In this study, the inhibitory effect of Dex on inflammation in dental pulp cells was assessed. For this, the effect of Dex on inflammation induced by carrageenan (Car) in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) was evaluated. Car incubation induced a robust inflammatory response in hDPCs as well as activation of PKA–STAT3 and PKC–nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. RESULTS: Dex reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the phosphorylation of PKA, PKC, STAT3, and NF-κB as well as the nuclear accumulation of STAT3 and NF-κB were significantly increased in Dex-treated Car-induced hDPCs. Western blotting results also showed that the phosphorylation level of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) was downregulated as a result of Dex treatment. Furthermore, we found that administration of the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin (Cap) reversed the effects of Dex on proinflammatory cytokines; however, the expression and activation of PKA–STAT3 and PKC–NF-κB signals were not altered owing to Cap administration. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that Dex plays a defensive role in dental pulp inflammation by regulating the TRPV1 channel and can be used as a potential target for human dental pulp inflammation intervention.