GABAergic signalling in modulation of dental pain

Abstract

Dental pain is a common complaint in patients undergoing endodontic treatment. Despite continuous efforts to develop new pain management strategies and improved treatment approaches, dental pain management remains a continuous challenge to clinicians. Understanding pain signalling mechanisms in the dental pulp along with the molecular targets involved in the dental pain pathway will provide a better view of how dental pain can be managed. The role of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) in pain transduction has been well explored in various literature over the years. GABA and its receptors have been found in parts of the spinal cord and brain that are related to pain perception, thus providing compelling evidence of its role in mediating pain signalling. Based on this evidence, several studies have investigated the expression of GABA and its receptors in the dental pulp as well as its role in dental pain transmission. This review discusses GABA and its receptors in pain signalling, with emphasis on the research progress related to GABAergic signalling in the dental pain pathway.

Keywords: Dental pulp; GABA receptors; Nociception; Trigeminal ganglion; γ-aminobutyric acid.