It has been well known that excitatory amino acids, primarily glutamate, are involved in the transmission of nociception in pathological and physiological conditions in the spinal and brainstem level. Recently, peripheral glutamate also play a critical role in the peripheral nociceptive transmissions. The present study investigated the role of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) or non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors in formalin-induced TMJ pain. Experiments were carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220-280 g. Intra-articular injection was performed under halothane anesthesia. Under anesthesia, AP-7 (10, 100μM, 1mM/20 μL), a NMDA receptor antagonist, or CNQX disodium salt (0.5, 5, 50, 500 μM/20 μL), a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, were administered intra-articularly 10 min prior to the application of 5% formalin. For each animal, the number of behavioral responses, such as rubbing and/or scratching the TMJ region, was recorded for nine successive 5-min intervals. Intra-articular pretreatment with 1 mM of AP-7 or 50 μM CNQX significantly decreased the formalin-induced scratching behavioral responses during the second phase. Intra-articular pretreatment with 500μM of CNQX significantly decreased the formalin-induced scratching behavior during both the first and the second phase. These results indicate that the intra-articular administration of NMDA or non-NMDA receptor antagonists inhibit formalin-induced TMJ nociception, and peripheral ionotropic glutamate receptors may play an important role in the TMJ nociception.

지금까지의 내용을 요약하면 먼저, 인체의 각 관절 주위에는 관절의 움직임과 위치를 파악하는 감지기 역할을 하는 기계적 감수기가 있다. 이러한 감수기는 크게 네가지로 구분되어지는데 대개 I형 감수기, II형 감수기 등의 용어를 사용한다. 각각의 감수기의 특성(표 2.)을 알아보면, 루피니(Ruffini)감각기와 유사한 모양을 하고 있는 I형 관절감수기는 주로 운동의 속도(speed)와 방향(direction)을 감지(detection) 하며, 파시니안(P