title: Human Digital Meissner Corpuscles Display Immunoreactivity for the Multifunctional Ion Channels Trpc6 and Trpv4.
abstract: Ion channels are at the basis of the sensory processes including mechanosensing. Some members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel superfamily have been proposed as mechanosensors, but their putative role in mechanotransduction is controversial. Among them there are TRP canonical 6 (TRPC6) and TRP vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channels, which are known to cooperate in mechanical hyperalgesia. Here, we investigated the occurrence, distribution, and possible colocalization of TRPC6 and TRPV4 in human digital Meissner sensory corpuscles using immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence (associate with markers for specific corpuscular constituents). TRPC6 immunoreactivity was restricted to the axon of Meissner corpuscles, whereas TRPV4 was detected in the axon but also in the lamellar cells. Moreover, axonal colocalization of TRPV4 and TRPC6 was found in the digital Meissner corpuscles. Present results demonstrate for the first time the occurrence and colocalization of two ion channels candidates to mechanosensors in human cutaneous mechanoreceptors. The functional significance of these ion channels in that place remains to be clarified, but should be related to different properties of mechanosensitivity. Anat Rec, 300:1022-1031, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Valle del Nalón, SESPA, La Felguera, Spain.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso-González
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOs, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía y Radiología, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: San José
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOs, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gago
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Iván C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Suazo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOs, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: García-Suárez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Médico-Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.|Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cobo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Grupo SINPOs, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vega
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000074287:TRPC6 Cation Channel / Q000378:metabolism*; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000074287:TRPC6 Cation Channel; C117032:TRPC6 protein, human; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C416986:TRPV4 protein, human
keywords: Meissner corpuscles; human; mechanosensing; transient receptor potential ion channels