Orthodontic pain that is induced by tooth movement is an important sequela of orthodontic treatment and has a significant effect on patient quality of life. Studies have shown that the high expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in trigeminal ganglions plays a vital role in the transmission and modulation of orofacial pain. However, little is known about the role of TRPV1 in orthodontic pain. In this study, male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups to study the role of TRPV1 in the modulation of tooth-movement pain. The expression levels of TRPV1 mRNA and protein were determined by real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Moreover, pain levels were assessed using the rat grimace scale (RGS). The role of TRPV1 in modulating tooth-movement pain was examined by injecting a TRPV1 antagonist into the trigeminal ganglia of rats. A lentivirus containing a TRPV1 shRNA sequence was constructed and transduced into the rats’ trigeminal ganglia. The results showed that the expression levels of TRPV1 protein and mRNA were elevated following tooth-movement pain. Pain levels increased rapidly on the 1^st day, peaked on the 3^rd day and returned to baseline on the 14^th day. The TRPV1 antagonist significantly reduced tooth-movement pain. The lentivirus containing a TRPV1 shRNA sequence was able to inhibit the expression of TRPV1 and relieved tooth-movement pain. In conclusion, TRPV1-based gene therapy may be a treatment strategy for the relief of orthodontic pain.

牙齿移动引起的正畸疼痛是正畸治疗的重要后遗症，对患者的生活质量有显着影响。研究表明，三叉神经节瞬时受体电位香草酸1（TRPV1）的高表达在口面部疼痛的传递和调节中发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，人们对 TRPV1 在正畸疼痛中的作用知之甚少。在这项研究中，雄性 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠被随机分为六组，以研究 TRPV1 在调节牙齿移动疼痛中的作用。分别通过实时PCR和蛋白质印迹测定TRPV1 mRNA和蛋白的表达水平。此外，使用大鼠鬼脸量表（RGS）评估疼痛水平。通过将 TRPV1 拮抗剂注射到大鼠的三叉神经节中，研究了 TRPV1 在调节牙齿移动疼痛中的作用。构建了含有 TRPV1 shRNA 序列的慢病毒，并将其转导到大鼠的三叉神经节中。结果显示，牙齿移动疼痛后TRPV1蛋白和mRNA的表达水平升高。疼痛程度在第 1 天迅速增加^，第 3^天达到顶峰，第 14 天恢复到^基线。TRPV1 拮抗剂可显着减轻牙齿移动疼痛。含有TRPV1 shRNA序列的慢病毒能够抑制TRPV1的表达并缓解牙齿移动疼痛。总之，基于TRPV1的基因治疗可能是缓解正畸疼痛的一种治疗策略。