Increased vanilloid receptor VR1 innervation in vulvodynia.
Vulvodynia is characterised by painful burning sensation, allodynia and hyperalgesia in the region of the vulval vestibulus. While in many patients the cause of vulvodynia remains uncertain, we and others have previously shown increased intraepithelial and papillary innervation in vulvodynia. The vanilloid receptor VR1 (TRPV1) is expressed by nociceptors, and is triggered by capsaicin, noxious heat, protons, and chemicals produced during inflammation. In the present study we show increased papillary VR1 fibres by immunostaining and image analysis in vulvodynia tissues compared to controls (p<0.002). VR1 expression was found to be significantly increased when the percentage area immunostained was expressed as a ratio of VR1 to PGP 9.5, a pan-neuronal marker (P=0.01). VR1-positive fine epidermal fibres also appeared to be increased in vulvodynia tissues, by inspection. Fibres immunoreactive to the voltage-gated sodium channel SNS1/PN3 (Nav1.8), also expressed by nociceptors, were relatively scarce in both vulvodynia and control tissues. We hypothesize that increased expression of VR1 by nociceptors could mediate some of the symptoms in vulvodynia, for which systemic or topical specific VR1 antagonists may provide novel treatment.
Department of Dermatology, University College London Hospitals Trust, UK.
Penelope
P
Tympanidis
Maria Anna
MA
Casula
Yiangos
Y
Yiangou
Giorgio
G
Terenghi
Pauline
P
Dowd
Praveen
P
Anand
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004817:Epidermis / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000378:metabolism*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D014844:Vulva / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*
D062559:NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D011955:Receptors, Drug; C568317:SCN10A protein, human; D015222:Sodium Channels; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase