Nature Neuroscience
5, 546 - 551 (2002)
Published online: 6 May 2002; | doi:10.1038/nn0602-852
Ethanol elicits and potentiates nociceptor responses via the vanilloid receptor-1M Trevisani1, 5, D Smart2, 5, M J. Gunthorpe2, 5, M Tognetto3, M Barbieri1, B Campi3, S Amadesi1, J Gray2, J C. Jerman4, S J. Brough4, D Owen2, G D. Smith2, A D. Randall2, S Harrison1, A Bianchi3, J B. Davis2
& P Geppetti11
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Headache Center, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
2
Neurology-CEDD, GlaxoSmithKline, Third Avenue, Harlow CM19 5AW, UK
3
Department of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 86, 95123 Catania, Italy
4
Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Third Avenue, Harlow CM19 5AW, UK
5
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence should be addressed to J B. Davis John_B_Davis@gsk.comThe vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1) is a heat-gated ion channel that is responsible for the burning sensation elicited by capsaicin. A similar sensation is reported by patients with esophagitis when they consume alcoholic beverages or are administered alcohol by injection as a medical treatment. We report here that ethanol activates primary sensory neurons, resulting in neuropeptide release or plasma extravasation in the esophagus, spinal cord or skin. Sensory neurons from trigeminal or dorsal root ganglia as well as VR1-expressing HEK293 cells responded to ethanol in a concentration-dependent and capsazepine-sensitive fashion. Ethanol potentiated the response of VR1 to capsaicin, protons and heat and lowered the threshold for heat activation of VR1 from  42°C to 34°C. This provides a likely mechanistic explanation for the ethanol-induced sensory responses that occur at body temperature and for the sensitivity of inflamed tissues to ethanol, such as might be found in esophagitis, neuralgia or wounds.
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