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Capsaicin modulates K+ currents from dissociated rat taste receptor cells
Kyungpyo Park1, Peter D Brown, Yoon Bae Kim
1Department of Physiology, College of Dentistry, Seoul National University and Dental Research Institute, Yeongeondong 28, Chongnoku, Seoul 110-749, Korea. kppark@snu.ac.uk
Brain Research
|January 25, 2003
Summary
Capsaicin, the active compound in chili peppers, directly impacts taste receptor cells (TRCs). This study shows capsaicin inhibits potassium (K+) currents in TRCs, potentially altering taste perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chili pepper's main component, capsaicin, is known for affecting sensory nerves.
- The direct impact of capsaicin on taste receptor cells (TRCs) remains largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct effects of capsaicin on potassium (K+) currents in TRCs.
- To determine capsaicin's influence on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in TRCs.
Main Methods:
- Patch clamp electrophysiology was employed to study K+ currents in isolated rat TRCs.
- Fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry was utilized to measure intracellular calcium changes in response to capsaicin.
Main Results:
- Capsaicin (500 nM) significantly inhibited outward-rectifying K+ currents in whole-cell recordings.
- In cell-attached patches, capsaicin reduced the open probability (P(o)) of K+ channels.
- Micromolar concentrations of capsaicin dose-dependently increased intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in TRCs.
Conclusions:
- Capsaicin directly inhibits K+ currents in taste receptor cells.
- This inhibition suggests a mechanism by which capsaicin may modulate or enhance gustatory sensations.
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