Thermosensitive transient receptor potential channels in vagal afferent neurons of the mouse.

A number of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels has recently been shown to mediate cutaneous thermosensitivity. Sensitivity to warm and cool stimuli has been demonstrated in both human and animal gastrointestinal tract; however, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this have not been determined. Vagal afferent neurons with cell bodies in the nodose ganglion are known to mediate nonnociceptive sensation from the upper gut. In this study, isolated cultured nodose ganglion from the mouse neurons showed changes in cytoplasmic-free Ca2+ concentrations over a range of temperatures, as well as to icilin (a TRPM8 and TRPN1 agonist) and capsaicin (a TRPV1 agonist). RT-PCR was used to show the presence of six temperature-sensitive TRP channel transcripts (TRPV1–4, TRPN1, and TRPM8) in whole nodose ganglia. In addition, RT-PCR of single nodose cell bodies, which had been retrogradely labeled from the upper gut, detected transcripts for TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4, TRPN1, and TRPM8 in a proportion of cells. Immunoh...