title: Bimodal action of menthol on the transient receptor potential channel TRPA1.
abstract: TRPA1 is a calcium-permeable nonselective cation transient receptor potential (TRP) channel that functions as an excitatory ionotropic receptor in nociceptive neurons. TRPA1 is robustly activated by pungent substances in mustard oil, cinnamon, and garlic and mediates the inflammatory actions of environmental irritants and proalgesic agents. Here, we demonstrate a bimodal sensitivity of TRPA1 to menthol, a widely used cooling agent and known activator of the related cold receptor TRPM8. In whole-cell and single-channel recordings of heterologously expressed TRPA1, submicromolar to low-micromolar concentrations of menthol cause channel activation, whereas higher concentrations lead to a reversible channel block. In addition, we provide evidence for TRPA1-mediated menthol responses in mustard oil-sensitive trigeminal ganglion neurons. Our data indicate that TRPA1 is a highly sensitive menthol receptor that very likely contributes to the diverse psychophysical sensations after topical application of menthol to the skin or mucous membranes of the oral and nasal cavities.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Fysiologie, Campus Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karashima
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Damann
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prenen
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Talavera
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voets
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nilius
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008610:Menthol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D000074025:TRPA1 Cation Channel; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000074025:TRPA1 Cation Channel; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; C475685:Trpa1 protein, mouse; D008610:Menthol