HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

Epithelial expression of vanilloid and cannabinoid receptors: a potential role in burning mouth syndrome pathogenesis

Elisa Borsani1*, Alessandra Majorana2*, Marco Angelo Cocchi1, Giulio Conti3, Sara Bonadeo2, Alessandro Padovani4, Giuseppe Lauria5, Elena Bardellini2, Rita Rezzani1 and Luigi Fabrizio Rodella1

1Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, 2Dental Clinic, School of Dentistry, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy, 3IRCCS Ca’ Granda, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, 4Neurological Clinic, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy and 5Immunology and Muscular Pathology Unit, National Neurological Institute ‘Carlo Besta’, Milan, Italy
*Authors contributed equally to this work

Offprint requests to: Prof. Luigi F. Rodella, Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. e-mail: rodella@med.unibs.it


Summary. Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an intra-oral burning sensation for which presently no medical or dental causes have been found, and in which the oral mucosa appears normal. It remains an unknown disease for which there is still no long-term treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the epithelial alteration of transient receptor potential vanilloid channel type 1 (TRPV1) and cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) in the human tongue. The study was performed on eight healthy controls and eight BMS patients. All patients underwent a 3-mm punch biopsy at the anterolateral aspect of the tongue close to the tip. TRPV1, CB1 and CB2 immunohistochemistry was carried out showing an altered expression of all receptors. In BMS patients there was increased TRPV1, decreased CB1 and increased CB2 expression in tongue epithelial cells also associated with a change in their distribution. It would appear that these receptors are related to BMS. These data could be useful for future characterization of BMS epithelial markers and therapy
. Histol Histopathol 29, 523-533 (2014)

Key words: Burning mouth syndrome, Human tongue, Transient receptor potential vanilloid channel type 1, Cannabinoid receptor type 1, Cannabinoid receptor type 2

DOI: 10.14670/HH-29.10.523