The injury response of pulpal NPY-IR sympathetic fibers differs from that of sensory afferent fibers.
Light microscopic immunocytochemistry demonstrated that neuropeptide Y (NPY) containing sympathetic fibers in rat molars did not change morphology or staining characteristics after pulp exposure injury. This result, in combination with recent findings concerning NGF synthesis in injured pulp and NGF-receptor localization on pulpal sensory fibers, suggests that small diameter sensory fibers in pulp may be under NGF control, but NPY containing sympathetic efferent fibers are not. Thus, sympathetic fibers in tooth pulp have a different response to NGF compared to those in many other tissues.