David A. Andersson

Vanilloid receptors on sensory nerves mediate the vasodilator action of anandamide

The endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist anandamide is a powerful vasodilator of isolated vascular preparations, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Here we show that the vasodilator response to anandamide in isolated arteries is capsaicin-sensitive and accompanied by release of calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP). The selective CGRP-receptor antagonist 8-37 CGRP (ref. 5), but not the cannabinoid CB1 receptor blocker SR141716A (ref. 7), inhibited the vasodilator effect of anandamide. Other endogenous (2-arachidonylglycerol, palmitylethanolamide) and synthetic (HU 210, WIN 55,212-2, CP 55,940) CB1 and CB2 receptor agonists could not mimic the action of anandamide. The selective ‘vanilloid receptor’ antagonist capsazepine, inhibited anandamide-induced vasodilation and release of CGRP. In patch-clamp experiments on cells expressing the cloned vanilloid receptor (VR1), anandamide induced a capsazepine-sensitive current in whole cells and isolated membrane patches. Our results indicate that anandamide induces vasodilation by activating vanilloid receptors on perivascular sensory nerves and causing release of CGRP. The vanilloid receptor may thus be another molecular target for endogenous anandamide, besides cannabinoid receptors, in the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

ANKTM1, a TRP-like Channel Expressed in Nociceptive Neurons, Is Activated by Cold Temperatures

Mammals detect temperature with specialized neurons in the peripheral nervous system. Four TRPV-class channels have been implicated in sensing heat, and one TRPM-class channel in sensing cold. The combined range of temperatures that activate these channels covers a majority of the relevant physiological spectrum sensed by most mammals, with a significant gap in the noxious cold range. Here, we describe the characterization of ANKTM1, a cold-activated channel with a lower activation temperature compared to the cold and menthol receptor, TRPM8. ANKTM1 is a distant family member of TRP channels with very little amino acid similarity to TRPM8. It is found in a subset of nociceptive sensory neurons where it is coexpressed with TRPV1/VR1 (the capsaicin/heat receptor) but not TRPM8. Consistent with the expression of ANKTM1, we identify noxious cold-sensitive sensory neurons that also respond to capsaicin but not to menthol.

A TRP Channel that Senses Cold Stimuli and Menthol

A distinct subset of sensory neurons are thought to directly sense changes in thermal energy through their termini in the skin. Very little is known about the molecules that mediate thermoreception by these neurons. Vanilloid Receptor 1 (VR1), a member of the TRP family of channels, is activated by noxious heat. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of TRPM8, a distant relative of VR1. TRPM8 is specifically expressed in a subset of pain- and temperature-sensing neurons. Cells overexpressing the TRPM8 channel can be activated by cold temperatures and by a cooling agent, menthol. Our identification of a cold-sensing TRP channel in a distinct subpopulation of sensory neurons implicates an expanded role for this family of ion channels in somatic sensory detection.

Transient Receptor Potential A1 Is a Sensory Receptor for Multiple Products of Oxidative Stress

Transient receptor potential A1 (TRPA1) is expressed in a subset of nociceptive sensory neurons where it acts as a sensor for environmental irritants, including acrolein, and some pungent plant ingredients such as allyl isothiocyanate and cinnamaldehyde. These exogenous compounds activate TRPA1 by covalent modification of cysteine residues. We have used electrophysiological methods and measurements of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) to show that TRPA1 is activated by several classes of endogenous thiol-reactive molecules. TRPA1 was activated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; EC50, 230 μm), by endogenously occurring alkenyl aldehydes (EC50: 4-hydroxynonenal 19.9 μm, 4-oxo-nonenal 1.9 μm, 4-hydroxyhexenal 38.9 μm) and by the cyclopentenone prostaglandin, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2, EC50: 5.6 μm). The effect of H2O2 was reversed by treatment with dithiothreitol indicating that H2O2 acts by promoting the formation of disulfide bonds whereas the actions of the alkenyl aldehydes and 15d-PGJ2 were not reversed, suggesting that these agents form Michael adducts. H2O2 and the naturally occurring alkenyl aldehydes and 15d-PGJ2 acted on a subset of isolated rat and mouse sensory neurons [∼25% of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and ∼50% of nodose ganglion neurons] to evoke a depolarizing inward current and an increase in [Ca2+]i in TRPA1 expressing neurons. The abilities of H2O2, alkenyl aldehydes and 15d-PGJ2 to raise [Ca2+]i in mouse DRG neurons were greatly reduced in neurons from trpa1−/− mice. Furthermore, intraplantar injection of either H2O2 or 15d-PGJ2 evoked a nocifensive/pain response in wild-type mice, but not in trpa1−/− mice. These data demonstrate that multiple agents produced during episodes of oxidative stress can activate TRPA1 expressed in sensory neurons.

TRPA1 mediates spinal antinociception induced by acetaminophen and the cannabinoid Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabiorcol

TRPA1 is a unique sensor of noxious stimuli and, hence, a potential drug target for analgesics. Here we show that the antinociceptive effects of spinal and systemic administration of acetaminophen (paracetamol) are lost in Trpa1(-/-) mice. The electrophilic metabolites N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine and p-benzoquinone, but not acetaminophen itself, activate mouse and human TRPA1. These metabolites also activate native TRPA1 and, as a consequence, reduce voltage-gated calcium and sodium currents in primary sensory neurons. The N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine metabolite L-cysteinyl-S-acetaminophen was detected in the mouse spinal cord after systemic acetaminophen administration. In the hot-plate test, intrathecal administration of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine, p-benzoquinone and the electrophilic TRPA1 activator cinnamaldehyde produced antinociception that was lost in Trpa1(-/-) mice. Intrathecal injection of a non-electrophilic cannabinoid, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabiorcol, also produced TRPA1-dependent antinociception in this test. Our study provides a molecular mechanism for the antinociceptive effect of acetaminophen and discloses spinal TRPA1 activation as a potential pharmacological strategy to alleviate pain.

TRPM8 activation by menthol, icilin, and cold is differentially modulated by intracellular pH

TRPM8 is a nonselective cation channel activated by cold and the cooling compounds menthol and icilin (Peier et al., 2002). Here, we have used electrophysiology and the calcium-sensitive dye Fura-2 to study the effect of pH and interactions between temperature, pH, and the two chemical agonists menthol and icilin on TRPM8 expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Menthol, icilin, and cold all evoked stimulus-dependent [Ca2+]i responses in standard physiological solutions of pH 7.3. Increasing the extracellular [H+] from pH 7.3 to approximately pH 6 abolished responses to icilin and cold stimulation but did not affect responses to menthol. Icilin concentration-response curves were significantly shifted to the right when pH was lowered from 7.3 to 6.9, whereas those with menthol were unaltered in solutions of pH 6.1. When cells were exposed to solutions in the range of pH 8.1-6.5, the temperature threshold for activation was elevated at higher pH and depressed at lower pH. Superfusing cells with a low subactivating concentration of icilin or menthol elevated the threshold for cold activation at pH 7.4, but cooling failed to evoke [Ca2+]i responses at pH 6 in the presence of either agonist. In voltage-clamp experiments in which the intracellular pH was buffered to different levels, acidification reduced the current amplitude of icilin responses and shifted the threshold for cold activation to lower values with half-maximal inhibition at pH 7.2 and pH 7.6. The results demonstrate that the activation of TRPM8 by icilin and cold, but not menthol, is modulated by intracellular pH in the physiological range. Furthermore, our data suggest that activation by icilin and cold involve a different mechanism to activation by menthol.

Modulation of the Cold-Activated Channel TRPM8 by Lysophospholipids and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

We investigated the role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and the effects of PLA2 products (polyunsaturated fatty acids and lysophospholipids) on the cold-sensitive channel transient receptor potential (melastatin)-8 (TRPM8), heterologously expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. TRPM8 responses to cold and the agonist icilin were abolished by inhibitors of the calcium-independent (iPLA2) form of the enzyme, whereas responses to menthol were less sensitive to iPLA2 inhibition. Inhibition of PLA2 similarly abolished the cold responses of the majority of cold-sensitive dorsal root ganglion neurons. The products of PLA2 had opposing effects on TRPM8. Lysophospholipids (LPLs) (lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylinositol, and lysophosphatidylserine) altered the thermal sensitivity of TRPM8, raising the temperature threshold toward normal body temperature. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as arachidonic acid, inhibited the activation of TRPM8 by cold, icilin, and menthol. The relative potencies of lysophospholipids and PUFAs are such that lysophosphatidylcholine is able to modulate TRPM8 in the presence of an equimolar concentration of arachidonic acid. Positive modulation by LPLs provides a potential physiological mechanism for sensitizing and activating TRPM8 in the absence of temperature variations.

Clioquinol and pyrithione activate TRPA1 by increasing intracellular Zn2

The antifungal and amoebicidal drug clioquinol (CQ) was withdrawn from the market when it was linked to an epidemic of subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON). Clioquinol exerts its anti-parasitic actions by acting as a Cu/Zn chelator and ionophore. Here we show that local injections of CQ produce mechanical hyperalgesia and cold hypersensitivity through a mechanism involving TRPA1 in mice. We also show that CQ activates TRPA1 in a Zn2+-dependent manner. Using a different Zn2+-ionophore, zinc pyrithione (ZnPy), we demonstrate that low, nanomolar concentrations of intracellular Zn2+ ([Zn2+]i) stimulate TRPA1. Direct application of Zn2+ to the intracellular face of excised, inside-out patches activates TRPA1 with an EC50 value of 7.5 ± 1 nM. TRPA1 is expressed in a subpopulation of nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, where it acts as a sensory receptor for environmental irritants and oxidants. Using cultured DRG neurons from wild-type and TRPA1-deficient mice, we demonstrate that TRPA1 is the principal excitatory receptor for increased [Zn2+]i in DRG neurons. In conclusion, we have discovered that TRPA1 acts a sensor of intracellular Zn2+, and that Zn2+ ionophores, such as CQ and ZnPy, activate TRPA1 by increasing [Zn2+]i. We also demonstrate that CQ-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia and cold allodynia require TRPA1 in vivo.

The roles of iPLA2, TRPM8 and TRPA1 in chemically induced cold hypersensitivity

BackgroundThe cooling agents menthol and icilin act as agonists at TRPM8 and TRPA1. In vitro, activation of TRPM8 by icilin and cold, but not menthol, is dependent on the activity of a sub-type of phospholipase A2, iPLA2. Lysophospholipids (e.g. LPC) produced by PLA2 activity can also activate TRPM8. The role of TRPA1 as a primary cold sensor in vitro is controversial, although there is evidence that TRPA1 plays a role in behavioural responses to noxious cold stimuli. In this study, we have investigated the roles of TRPM8 and TRPA1 and the influence of iPLA2 on noxious cold sensitivities in naïve animals and after local administration of menthol, icilin and LPC. The roles of the channels in cold sensitivity were investigated in mice lacking either TRPM8 (Trpm8-/-) or TRPA1 (Trpa1-/-).ResultsIntraplantar administration of icilin evoked a dose-dependent increase in sensitivity to a 10°C stimulus that was inhibited by iPLA2 inhibition with BEL. In contrast the cold hypersensitivities elicited by intraplantar menthol and LPC were not inhibited by BEL treatment. BEL had no effect on basal cold sensitivity and mechanical hypersensitivities induced by the TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin, and the P2X3 agonist α,β-methylene ATP. Both Trpm 8-/- and Trpa1-/- mice showed longer latencies for paw withdrawal from a 10°C stimulus than wild-type littermates. Cold hypersensitivities induced by either icilin or LPC were absent in Trpm8-/- mice but were retained in Trpa1-/- mice. In contrast, cold hypersensitivity evoked by menthol was present in Trpm8-/- mice but was lost in Trpa1-/- mice.ConclusionsThe findings that iPLA2 inhibition blocked the development of cold hypersensitivity after administration of icilin but failed to affect menthol-induced hypersensitivity agree well with our earlier in vitro data showing a differential effect of iPLA2 inhibition on the agonist activities of these agents. The ability of LPC to induce cold hypersensitivity supports a role for iPLA2 in modulating TRPM8 activity in vivo. Studies on genetically modified mice demonstrated that the effects of icilin and LPC were mediated by TRPM8 and not TRPA1. In contrast, menthol-induced cold hypersensitivity was dependent on expression of TRPA1 and not TRPM8.

Evidence for the pathophysiological relevance of TRPA1 receptors in the cardiovascular system in vivo

AIMS The aim of the study is to investigate transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1)-induced responses in the vasculature and on blood pressure and heart rate (HR), in response to TRPA1 agonists using wild-type (WT) and TRPA1 knockout (KO) mice. METHODS AND RESULTS TRPA1 agonists allyl isothiocyanate and cinnamaldehyde (CA) significantly increased blood flow in the skin of anaesthetized WT, but not in TRPA1 KO mice. CA also induced TRPA1-dependent relaxation of mesenteric arteries. Intravenously injected CA induced a transient hypotensive response accompanied by decreased HR that was, depending on genotype and dose, followed by a more sustained dose-dependent pressor response (10-320 micromol/kg). CA (80 micromol/kg) induced a depressor response that was significantly less in TRPA1 KO mice, with minimal pressor effects. The pressor response of a higher CA dose (320 micromol/kg) was observed in WT but not in TRPA1 KO mice, indicating involvement of TRPA1. Experiments using TRP vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) KO and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) KO mice provided little evidence for the involvement of TRPV1 or CGRP, nor did blocking substance P receptors affect responses. However, the cholinergic antagonist atropine sulphate (5 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the depressor response and slowed HR with CA (80 micromol/kg), but had no effect on pressor responses. The pressor response remained unaffected, even in the presence of the ganglion blocker hexamethonium bromide (1 mg/kg). The alpha-adrenergic blocker prazosin hydrochloride (1 mg/kg) significantly inhibited both components, but not slowed HR. CONCLUSION TRPA1 is involved in mediating vasodilation. TRPA1 can also influence changes in blood pressure of possible relevance to autonomic system reflexes and potentially to vasovagal/neurocardiogenic syncope disorders.