Transient receptor potential channels are a group of ion channels located mostly on the plasma membrane of numerous animal cell types. Most of these are grouped into two broad groups: Group 1 includes TRPC, TRPV, TRPVL, TRPM, TRPS, TRPN, and TRPA. Group 2 consists of TRPP and TRPML. Other less-well categorized TRP channels exist, including yeast channels and a number of Group 1 and Group 2 channels present in non-animals. Many of these channels mediate a variety of sensations such as pain, temperature, different kinds of tastes, pressure, and vision. In the body, some TRP channels are thought to behave like microscopic thermometers and used in animals to sense hot or cold. Some TRP channels are activated by molecules found in spices like garlic (allicin), chili pepper (capsaicin), wasabi ; others are activated by menthol, camphor, peppermint, and cooling agents; yet others are activated by molecules found in cannabis or stevia. Some act as sensors of osmotic pressure, volume, stretch, and vibration. Most of the channels are activated or inhibited by signaling lipids and contribute to a family of lipid-gated ion channels.
The 5-HT2A receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT2 receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). The 5-HT2A receptor is a cell surface receptor, but has several intracellular locations. 5-HT is short for 5-hydroxy-tryptamine or serotonin. This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin, although 5-HT2A may also have an inhibitory effect on certain areas such as the visual cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex. This receptor was first noted for its importance as a target of serotonergic psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. Later it came back to prominence because it was also found to be mediating, at least partly, the action of many antipsychotic drugs, especially the atypical ones.
The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TrpV1), also known as the capsaicin receptor and the vanilloid receptor 1, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the TRPV1 gene. It was the first isolated member of the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor proteins that in turn are a sub-family of the transient receptor potential protein group. This protein is a member of the TRPV group of transient receptor potential family of ion channels.
Capsazepine is a synthetic antagonist of capsaicin. It is used as a biochemical tool in the study of TRPV ion channels.
TRPA is a family of transient receptor potential ion channels. The TRPA family is made up of 7 subfamilies: TRPA1, TRPA- or TRPA1-like, TRPA5, painless, pyrexia, waterwitch, and HsTRPA. TRPA1 is the only subfamily widely expressed across animals, while the other subfamilies are largely absent in deuterostomes.
Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, member 1, also known as transient receptor potential ankyrin 1, TRPA1, or The Wasabi Receptor, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRPA1 gene.
Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M (melastatin) member 8 (TRPM8), also known as the cold and menthol receptor 1 (CMR1), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRPM8 gene. The TRPM8 channel is the primary molecular transducer of cold somatosensation in humans. In addition, mints can desensitize a region through the activation of TRPM8 receptors.
Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRPM3 gene.
Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 3, also known as TRPV3, is a human gene encoding the protein of the same name.
AM-1241 (1-(methylpiperidin-2-ylmethyl)-3-(2-iodo-5-nitrobenzoyl)indole) is a chemical from the aminoalkylindole family that acts as a potent and selective agonist for the cannabinoid receptor CB2, with a Ki of 3.4 nM at CB2 and 80 times selectivity over the related CB1 receptor. It has analgesic effects in animal studies, particularly against "atypical" pain such as hyperalgesia and allodynia. This is thought to be mediated through CB2-mediated peripheral release of endogenous opioid peptides, as well as direct activation of the TRPA1 channel. It has also shown efficacy in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in animal models.
Relief from chronic pain remains a recognized unmet medical need. Consequently, the search for new analgesic agents is being intensively studied by the pharmaceutical industry. The TRPV1 receptor is an ion channel that has been implicated in mediation of many types of pain and therefore studied most extensively. The first competitive antagonist, capsazepine, was first described in 1990; since then, development of novel TRPV1 antagonists has come a long way. This effort has led to the identification of several TRPV1 antagonists that have entered clinical trials as analgesic agents. Should these new chemical entities relieve symptoms of chronic pain, then this class of compounds may offer one of the first novel mechanisms for the treatment of pain in many years.
PF-4840154 is a pyrimidine derivative discovered by Pfizer at its Sandwich, Kent research center. The compound is a potent, selective activator of both the human (EC50 = 23 nM) and rat (EC50 = 97 nM) TRPA1 channels. This compound elicits nociception in a mouse model through TRPA1 activation. PF-4840154 is used as a reference agonist of the TRPA1 channel for in-vitro high-throughput screening purposes, and is superior to allyl isothiocyanate for this use. The TRPA1 channel is considered an attractive pain target based on the fact that TRPA1 knockout mice showed near complete attenuation of pain behaviors in some pre-clinical development models.
Wasabi receptor toxin (WaTx) is the active component of the venom of the Australian black rock scorpion Urodacus manicatus. WaTx targets TRPA1, also known as the wasabi receptor or irritant receptor. WaTx is a cell-penetrating toxin that stabilizes the TRPA1 channel open state while reducing its Ca2+-permeability, thereby eliciting pain and pain hypersensitivity without the neurogenic inflammation that typically occurs in other animal toxins.
A-967079 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective antagonist for the TRPA1 receptor. It has analgesic and antiinflammatory effects and is used in scientific research, but has not been developed for medical use.
HC-067047 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective antagonist for the TRPV4 receptor. It has been used to investigate the role of TRPV4 receptors in a number of areas, such as regulation of blood pressure, bladder function and some forms of pain, as well as neurological functions.
AM-0902 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective antagonist for the TRPA1 receptor, and has analgesic and antiinflammatory effects.
HC-030031 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective antagonist for the TRPA1 receptor, and has analgesic and antiinflammatory effects.
CIM-0216 is a chemical compound which acts as a potent and selective activator of the TRPM3 calcium channel. It produces nociception and inflammation and is used to study the function of the TRPM3 receptor in these processes.
WS-12 is a chemical compound that acts as a potent and selective activator of the TRPM8 calcium channel, which is responsible for the sensation of coldness produced by menthol. It is slightly less potent as a TRPM8 activator compared to icilin, but is much more selective for TRPM8 over related calcium channels. It produces analgesic and antiinflammatory effects in animal models with similar efficacy to menthol and a reduced side effect profile.
AMG-517 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective blocker of the TRPV1 ion channel. It was developed as a potential treatment for chronic pain, but while it was an effective analgesic in animal studies it was dropped from human clinical trials at Phase I due to producing hyperthermia as a side effect, as well as poor water solubility. It is still used in scientific research into the function of the TRPV1 channel and its role in pain and inflammation, and has been used as a template for the design of several newer analogues which have improved properties.
