Role of substance P in neurogenic inflammation in the rat incisor pulp and the lower lip.

Vascular permeability was significantly increased in the incisor pulp and skin of the lower lip in the rat after antidromic electrical stimulation of the inferior alveolar nerve, and this response was significantly inhibited by a substance-P antagonist. The content of substance P in the pulp and lip was also increased after stimulation. The permeability response was reduced by aspirin and bradykinin antagonists (both B1- and B2-receptor types) in the pulp and lip, indicating that prostaglandins and bradykinin may be involved. Mepyramine and methysergide inhibited the vascular response in the lip but not the pulp; the roles of histamine and serotonin differ in the two tissues. Injection of substance P into the incisor pulp and the lip skin caused dye leakage. This response was inhibited by pretreatment with compound 48/80 in the lip but not the pulp. Lip histamine content was decreased significantly after antidromic stimulation of the inferior alveolar nerve and pretreatment with compound 48/80, but was not changed in the pulp. The results suggest that substance P in the lip, after being released from the peripheral sensory-nerve endings, may act on the vascular system via histamine release from mast cells; but in the pulp may cause vascular response directly because of the scarcity of mast cells.