Altered vascular permeability in the dental pulp of traumatised rat teeth.

A study was made of the vascular permeability changes occurring in the dental pulp of rat teeth subjected to trauma of the occlusal surface with a special steel burr. The vascular response was measured by leakage of 131I-labelled human serum albumin and of colloidal carbon. The effect of a variety of inhibitors of increased vascular permeability was observed. The results obtained support the hypothesis that in the model studied the vascular response of the dental pulp is mediated by the sequential release of histamine and 5-HT, kinins and prostaglandins.