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Abstract

Ambient temperature is detected via specialized sensory nerve ending in the skin. The transduction of thermal stimuli into action potentials relies on the activity of temperature sensitive ion channels located in the membranes of sensory nerve endings. The molecular mechanism of cold and heat transduction is well characterized. However, the ion channels responsible for the detection of innocuous warmth are still a matter of debate.

TRPV1 and TRPM2 are temperature sensitive cation channels belonging to the family of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Recent findings implicate a role for both TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warm-temperature detection. Cellular data from animals lacking TRPV1 and TRPM2 or pharmacological inhibition support this idea. However, in vivo assessment of TRPV1- and TRPM2-involvement in temperature detection yields seemingly contradictory results.

In this study, the role of TRPV1 and TRPM2 in warmth detection was evaluated in vitro and in vivo under comparable conditions.