The objective of our research was to investigate the cellular effects of a cocoa-enriched diet on neurons and glia in the trigeminal ganglia and trigeminal nucleus caudalis under basal conditions, and in response to acute or chronic inflammation.  Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control diet or isocaloric diets enriched in cocoa for 14 days prior to injection of capsaicin or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).  The stimulated expression of proteins associated with promoting and maintaining inflammatory and nociceptive responses were repressed in animals on a cocoa enriched diet.  The inhibitory effects of cocoa are likely to be mediated via increased basal expression of the anti-inflammatory proteins MKP-1, MKP-3, and IL-10. Data from our study provide evidence that cocoa contains biologically active ingredients that modulate neuronal excitability, and thus, cocoa would be beneficial as a nutraceutical for the treatment of diseases involving trigeminal nerve activation such as migraine and TMJ disorder.

Regulation of inflammatory proteins in trigeminal ganglion and trigeminal nucleus caudalis in response to cocoa enriched diets:  Implications for migraine and TMJ disorder

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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