Brain research
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Eugenol is an aromatic molecule found in several plants and widely used in dentistry for analgesic and antiseptic purposes. It inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. It also regulates ion channels involved in pain signaling, such as TRPV1 receptor, high-voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels, NMDA receptor and GABA(A) receptor. ⋯ The recovery from inactivation of both Na(+) currents was slowed by eugenol. The eugenol inhibition of Na(+) currents was not dependent on the stimulus frequency. The inhibition of Na(+) currents is considered as one of the mechanisms by which eugenol exerts analgesia.