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Establishing a Mouse Model of a Pure Small Fiber Neuropathy with the Ultrapotent Agonist of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1
Published on: February 13, 2018
Vanilloid receptor-1 is essential for inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia
J B Davis1, J Gray, M J Gunthorpe
1Department of Neuroscience Research, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Harlow, UK. John_B_Davis@sbphrd.com
Nature
|May 23, 2000
Summary
The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is crucial for inflammatory pain sensation. VR1-null mice showed no thermal hyperalgesia, indicating its role in inflammatory sensitization to heat.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is a cation channel in sensory neurons.
- VR1 responds to capsaicin, heat, and acid, integrating noxious stimuli.
- VR1 is implicated in pain sensation and nociceptive behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of VR1 in pain sensation and inflammatory responses.
- To determine if VR1 is essential for normal heat sensation and inflammatory hyperalgesia.
Main Methods:
- Gene targeting was used to create VR1-null mice.
- Neuronal responses to capsaicin, acid, and heat were tested.
- Carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia was assessed in VR1-null and wild-type mice.
Main Results:
- VR1-null neurons lacked capsaicin-, acid-, and heat-gated responses.
- VR1-null mice exhibited normal responses to acute noxious heat.
- Carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia was completely absent in VR1-null mice.
Conclusions:
- VR1 is essential for inflammatory sensitization to noxious thermal stimuli.
- Alternative mechanisms contribute to normal sensation of noxious heat.
- VR1 plays a specific role in inflammatory pain pathways.
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