Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

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
Neurokinin-1 receptor in peripheral nerve terminals mediates thermal hyperalgesia
Wen-Ling Chen1, Yu-Qiu Zhang, Zhi-Qi Zhao
1Institute of Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Abstract:
Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1) plays an important role in nociception. The present study was to explore whether activation of peripheral NK-1 receptor, especially expressed on primary sensory afferents, could induce hyperalgesia and sensitize C-type sensory afferents. (1) Intraplantar administration of NK-1 agonist [Sar9, Met(O2)11]SP (Sar-SP, 0.2, 1 nmol, 20 microl) produced significant thermal hyperalgesia and edema, which was blocked by co-injection of NK-1 antagonist WIN51,708 (10 nmol). But in the rats with compound 48/80 treatment for mast cell depletion, the Sar-SP-induced edema, but not hyperalgesia, was attenuated. (2) Close-arterial injection of Sar-SP (1 nmol, 0.1 ml) excited and sensitized sensory C afferents of the sural nerve to heat stimuli. The results suggest involvement of NK-1 receptors expressed on the peripheral afferent terminals in thermal hyperalgesia mediated by directly sensitizing C-type sensory afferents.
Related Concept Videos
Thermosensation
Nociception
Pain
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
Sensory Functions of the Skin
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
