Nociception is the process whereby primary afferent nerve fibers of the somatosensory
system detect noxious stimuli. Pungent irritants from pepper, mint, and mustard plants have …

Physiological evidence supporting the role of the adenine nucleotide, ATP 1 (Figure 1), as a
neurotransmitter was first summarized in detail in 1972, 1 representing the basis of …

TRPV1 plays a key role in nociception, as it is activated by heat, low pH, and ligands such as
capsaicin, leading to a burning pain sensation. We describe the structure of the cytosolic …

Bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator that plays a pivotal role in pain and
hyperalgesia to heat in inflamed tissues by exciting nociceptors and sensitizing them to heat …

The cloning of the vanilloid receptor 1 opened a floodgate for discoveries regarding the
function of this complex molecule. It has been found that, in addition to heat, protons and …

Recent work has addressed the role of vanilloid receptor type 1 (VR1) in pain perception.
VR1 activity is regulated both directly and indirectly by endogenous factors. For example …

The vanilloid receptor [transient receptor potential (TRP) V1, also known as VR1] is a
member of the TRP channel family. These receptors share a significant sequence homology …

Anandamide was the first endogenous ligand of cannabinoid receptors to be discovered in
1992. Yet, this compound also efficiently activates receptors specific for capsaicin, known as …

Ca2+ signaling influences nearly every aspect of cellular life. Transient receptor potential
(TRP) ion channels have emerged as cellular sensors for thermal, chemical and mechanical …

Temperature affects functions of all ion channels, but few of them can be gated directly. The
vanilloid receptor VR1 provides one exception. As a pain receptor, it is activated by heat> …