Use of aminoguanidine, a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, to evaluate the role of nitric oxide in periapical inflammation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of aminoguanidine (AG) as a selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on the degree of inflammatory response in periapical lesions in the canine teeth of cats. Root canals from 52 cat canine teeth were exposed to the oral cavity and sealed after 7 days. One day before pulp exposure, cats were administered either AG (experimental group) or normal saline (control group), which was continued on a daily basis until the day of sacrifice. Animals were sacrificed at 28 days after pulp exposure. Inflammatory response in the periapical zones was analyzed histologically. The degree of periapical inflammation in the AG group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Selective iNOS inhibitors such as AG thus reduce the intensity of inflammatory responses in periapical lesions.