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Immunoglobulin producing cells in the rat dental pulp after unilateral sympathectomy.

Haug SR, Heyeraas KJ

Department of Biomedicine, Section for Physiology, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, N-5009 Bergen, Norway. sivakami.rethnam@biomed.uib.no

Recent studies show that sympathetic nerves participate in immunomodulation. We investigated the effects of unilateral sympathectomy on recruitment of cells expressing kappa and lambda (kappa and lambda) light chains in the rat dental pulp. Superior cervical ganglion was removed in experimental rats (n=10) while control rats (n=8) received sham surgery. Following perfusion 18 days later, mandibular jaws were processed for immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Sympathectomy results in recruitment of cells expressing kappa and lambda light chains into the dental pulp (P=0.005). Electron microscopy revealed these cells to be mainly plasma cells and Mott cells. We conclude that neural imbalance caused by unilateral sympathectomy recruits immunoglobulin producing cells in the dental pulp. Our results are in agreement with a model of immune regulation in which the sympathetic nervous system exerts a tonic regulatory effect over lymphocyte proliferation and migration.

Published 18 November 2005 in Neuroscience, 136(2): 571-7.
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