About the Authors

Ikuko Suzuki

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiyuki Tsuboi

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Masamichi Shinoda

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Kazuo Shibuta

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Kuniya Honda

Affiliations Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Ayano Katagiri

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Masaaki Kiyomoto

Affiliation Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Barry J. Sessle

Affiliation Department of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Shingo Matsuura

Affiliation Department of Endodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Kinuyo Ohara

Affiliation Department of Endodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Kentaro Urata

Affiliation Department of Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan

Koichi Iwata

iwata-k@dent.nihon-u.ac.jp

Affiliations Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan, Division of Functional Morphology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan, Division of Applied System Neuroscience Advanced Medical Research Center, Nihon University Graduate School of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: KI. Performed the experiments: IS YT MS KS KH AK MK BJS SM KO KU KI. Analyzed the data: IS YT MS KS KH AK MK BJS SM KO KU KI. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MS BJS. Wrote the paper: KI MS BJS. Read and approved the final manuscript: IS YT MS KS KH AK MK BJS SM KO KU KI. Provided data interpretation: IS YT MS KS KH AK MK BJS SM KO KU KI. Helped finalize the manuscript: IS YT MS KS KH AK MK BJS SM KO KU KI. Conceptualized the hypothesis: KI. Supervised the experiments: KI. Directed the data analysis: KI. Finalized the manuscript: KI.