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Vanilloid receptor-1 is essential for inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia

Abstract

The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is a ligand-gated, non-selective cation channel expressed predominantly by sensory neurons. VR1 responds to noxious stimuli including capsaicin, the pungent component of chilli peppers, heat and extracellular acidification, and it is able to integrate simultaneous exposure to these stimuli1,2. These findings and research linking capsaicin with nociceptive behaviours (that is, responses to painful stimuli in animals3 have led to VR1 being considered as important for pain sensation. Here we have disrupted the mouse VR1 gene using standard gene targeting techniques. Small diameter dorsal root ganglion neurons isolated from VR1-null mice lacked many of the capsaicin-, acid- and heat-gated responses that have been previously well characterized in small diameter dorsal root ganglion neurons from various species. Furthermore, although the VR1-null mice appeared normal in a wide range of behavioural tests, including responses to acute noxious thermal stimuli, their ability to develop carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia was completely absent. We conclude that VR1 is required for inflammatory sensitization to noxious thermal stimuli but also that alternative mechanisms are sufficient for normal sensation of noxious heat.

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Figure 1: Disruption of VR1 gene by homologous recombination.
Figure 2: Ligand-gated currents in sDRG neurons from VR1+/+ and VR1-/- mice.
Figure 3: Heat-gated currents in sDRG neurons from VR1+/+ and VR1-/- mice.
Figure 4: Responses to thermal stimuli in normal and sensitized animals.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge P. Hayes, J. Nation, S. Pickering and C. David for technical assistance, and S. Rastan, F. Walsh, M. Geppert and D. Simmons for valuable critique.

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41586_2000_BF35012076_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Methods for Targeting of VR1 gene and generation of mutant mice & table 1: Summary of SHIRPA primary screening results. (DOC 35 kb)

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Davis, J., Gray, J., Gunthorpe, M. et al. Vanilloid receptor-1 is essential for inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia . Nature 405, 183–187 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35012076

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