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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Determining Cold Sensitivity and Adaptation in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2015
The role of TRP channels in sensory neurons
1Neural Plasticity Unit, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
Abstract:
Two parallel processes characterize the contemporary pain field. Firstly, enormous progress is being made in the discovery of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of pain and secondly, there is a growing appreciation that multiple mechanisms contribute to common clinical pain syndromes. The aim of this chapter is to provide a short overview how transient receptor potential (TRP) channels could contribute to acute and chronic pain states. TRP channels of the vanilloid family (TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, TRPV4) are excited by heat stimuli whereas TRPM8 and ANKTM1 are cold responsive. TRPV1 and ANKTM1 are mediating the pungency of nociceptor-specific chemicals such as capsaicin or mustard oil. Sensitization of TRPV1 is an important mechanisms for heat hyperalgesia and thus the generation of chronic pain symptoms.
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