| 2340 Dexamethasone (DEX) Attenuates the Effects of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Inflammation/Pain as Determined by Meal Pattern Analysis (MPA) | ||
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C.A. KERINS1, L. BULLARD1, D.S. CARLSON, and L.L. BELLINGER1, 1Baylor College of Dentistry, a member of the Texas A & M University Health Sciences Center, Dallas, USA We recently demonstrated that the novel use of computerized MPA could be used as a non-invasive biological marker to study TMJ pain in an animal model. Objective: In this study we attempt to validate our pain model further by determining if treatment with the anti-inflammatory agent DEX decreases TMJ swelling and chromodacryorrhea, and normalizes MPA. Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of four groups: 1, control; 2, control + DEX; 3, TMJ CFA-injected; 4, TMJ CFA-injected + DEX. Rats in Groups 2 and 4 received daily injection of DEX intramuscularly beginning 24h prior to the day of experimentation. Rats were given food and water ad libitum; food intake (FI) was recorded by computer 24h prior to and for 48h post-CFA injection. TMJ swelling, chromodacryorrhea and MPA were quantified. Results: CFA injection significantly (p<0.01) increased swelling and chromodacryorrhea (Group 3), while treatment with DEX after CFA injection attenuated these effects. CFA injection did not alter individual meal size, however total meal number decreased significantly after both CFA injection and CFA+DEX (p<0.01). Total FI was significantly decreased after CFA injection relative to untreated controls both 24h and 48h post-injection, whereas total FI was decreased only 24h post-injection after CFA+DEX. Meal duration was significantly increased after CFA injection relative to controls both 24h and 48h post-injection and relative to CFA+DEX 48h post-injection. Although DEX attenuated FI after CFA+DEX, it normalized meal duration both 24h and 48h post-injection. Conclusions: This finding confirms our earlier work that meal duration can be used as non-invasive marker of TMJ pain. This study shows that CFA-induced TMJ inflammation can cause changes in meal patterns that are not evident if only total FI is measured. The data show that the MPA can discern a change in TMJ pain even when drug treatment itself alters 24h FI. | ||
| Seq #211 - TMD - Treatment and Pathophysiology 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, Friday, 8 March 2002 San Diego Convention Center Exhibit Hall C | ||
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