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Tachykinin (NK1, NK2 and NK3) receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and early transcription factor, cFOS, mRNA expression in rat tissues following systemic capsaicin treatment

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 16:57 authored by Kunde, DA, Crawford, A, Dominic GeraghtyDominic Geraghty
Capsaicin, the pungent component of chilli pepper, stimulates TRPV1-expressing cells which is followed by desensitisation to subsequent exposure to capsaicin and other TRPV1 activators. At high systemic doses (>125 mg/kg), capsaicin produces long-term changes in both tachykinin receptor and TRPV1 expression and function in rats. However, whether desensitising (low) doses of capsaicin (~50 mg/kg) affect tachykinin receptor and TRPV1 gene expression in the short term has yet to be investigated. The aim of the present study was to compare tachykinin receptor (NK1, 2 and 3) and TRPV1 mRNA expression 24 hours after administration of capsaicin (50 mg/kg s.c.). Tachykinin receptor and TRPV1 mRNA was detected in all tissues studied with expression levels differing by up to 2500-fold between tissues. The highest expression of TRPV1 and NK1 mRNA was observed in the salivary gland, whereas NK2 mRNA expression was highest in the urinary bladder and NK3 mRNA expression in the frontal cortex. In the cervical spinal cord of rats treated with capsaicin, NK1 and NK3 mRNA expression were reduced by 56% and 80%, respectively (P<0.05), whereas NK2 and TRPV1 mRNA expression were increased 2.2- and 1.4-fold, respectively (P<0.05). NK1 and NK2 mRNA expression were decreased (P<0.05) in the urinary bladder and gastric fundus, respectively, following capsaicin treatment. There was a marked 100-fold increase in cFOS mRNA expression and 100-fold decrease in NK2 mRNA expression in whole blood of capsaicin-treated rats. In conclusion, these studies show that tachykinin receptor and TRPV1 mRNA expression undergo significant changes within 24 hours of systemic low-dose capsaicin administration.

History

Publication title

Regulatory Peptides

Volume

183

Pagination

35-41

ISSN

0167-0115

Department/School

School of Health Sciences

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Place of publication

Netherlands

Rights statement

Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Clinical health not elsewhere classified

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