(-)-Englerin-A Has Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects Independent of TRPC4 and 5.

Recently, we found that the deletion of TRPC5 leads to increased inflammation and pain-related behaviour in two animal models of arthritis. (-)-Englerin A (EA), an extract from the East African plant Phyllanthus engleri has been identified as a TRPC4/5 agonist. Here, we studied whether or not EA has any anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties via TRPC4/5 in the carrageenan model of inflammation. We found that EA treatment in CD1 mice inhibited thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, EA significantly reduced the volume of carrageenan-induced paw oedema and the mass of the treated paws. Additionally, in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons cultured from WT 129S1/SvIm mice, EA induced a dose-dependent cobalt uptake that was surprisingly preserved in cultured DRG neurons from 129S1/SvIm TRPC5 KO mice. Likewise, EA-induced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects were preserved in the carrageenan model in animals lacking TRPC5 expression or in mice treated with TRPC4/5 antagonist ML204.This study demonstrates that while EA activates a sub-population of DRG neurons, it induces a novel TRPC4/5-independent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect in vivo. Future studies are needed to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying EA's anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 5 (TRPC5): Regulation of Heart Rate and Protection against Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy.

TRPC5 is a non-selective cation channel that is expressed in cardiomyocytes, but there is a lack of knowledge of its (patho)physiological role in vivo. Here, we examine the role of TRPC5 on cardiac function under basal conditions and during cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiovascular parameters were assessed in wild-type (WT) and global TRPC5 knockout (KO) mice. Despite no difference in blood pressure or activity, heart rate was significantly reduced in TRPC5 KO mice. Echocardiography imaging revealed an increase in stroke volume, but cardiac contractility was unaffected. The reduced heart rate persisted in isolated TRPC5 KO hearts, suggesting changes in basal cardiac pacing. Heart rate was further investigated by evaluating the reflex change following drug-induced pressure changes. The reflex bradycardic response following phenylephrine was greater in TRPC5 KO mice but the tachycardic response to SNP was unchanged, indicating an enhancement in the parasympathetic control of the heart rate. Moreover, the reduction in heart rate to carbachol was greater in isolated TRPC5 KO hearts. To evaluate the role of TRPC5 in cardiac pathology, mice were subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). An exaggerated cardiac hypertrophy response to AAB was observed in TRPC5 KO mice, with an increased expression of hypertrophy markers, fibrosis, reactive oxygen species, and angiogenesis. This study provides novel evidence for a direct effect of TRPC5 on cardiac function. We propose that (1) TRPC5 is required for maintaining heart rate by regulating basal cardiac pacing and in response to pressure lowering, and (2) TRPC5 protects against pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Influence of Cold-TRP Receptors on Cold-Influenced Behaviour.

The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, TRPA1 and TRPM8, are thermo-receptors that detect cold and cool temperatures and play pivotal roles in mediating the cold-induced vascular response. In this study, we investigated the role of TRPA1 and TRPM8 in the thermoregulatory behavioural responses to environmental cold exposure by measuring core body temperature and locomotor activity using a telemetry device that was surgically implanted in mice. The core body temperature of mice that were cooled at 4 °C over 3 h was increased and this was accompanied by an increase in UCP-1 and TRPM8 level as detected by Western blot. We then established an effective route, by which the TRP antagonists could be administered orally with palatable food. This avoids the physical restraint of mice, which is crucial as that could influence the behavioural results. Using selective pharmacological antagonists A967079 and AMTB for TRPA1 and TRPM8 receptors, respectively, we show that TRPM8, but not TRPA1, plays a direct role in thermoregulation response to whole body cold exposure in the mouse. Additionally, we provide evidence of increased TRPM8 levels after cold exposure which could be a protective response to increase core body temperature to counter cold.

Dysfunctional TRPM8 signalling in the vascular response to environmental cold in ageing.

Ageing is associated with increased vulnerability to environmental cold exposure. Previously, we identified the role of the cold-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) A1, M8 receptors as vascular cold sensors in mouse skin. We hypothesised that this dynamic cold-sensor system may become dysfunctional in ageing. We show that behavioural and vascular responses to skin local environmental cooling are impaired with even moderate ageing, with reduced TRPM8 gene/protein expression especially. Pharmacological blockade of the residual TRPA1/TRPM8 component substantially diminished the response in aged, compared with young mice. This implies the reliance of the already reduced cold-induced vascular response in ageing mice on remaining TRP receptor activity. Moreover, sympathetic-induced vasoconstriction was reduced with downregulation of the α2c adrenoceptor expression in ageing. The cold-induced vascular response is important for sensing cold and retaining body heat and health. These findings reveal that cold sensors, essential for this neurovascular pathway, decline as ageing onsets.

Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Protects Against Cardiovascular Dysfunction Independently of Nitric Oxide In Vivo.

[Figure: see text].

Examining the role of transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5) in osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Osteo-arthritis (OA) involves joint degradation and usually pain; with mechanisms poorly understood and few treatment options. There is evidence that the transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5) mRNA expression is reduced in OA patients' synovia. Here we examine the profile of TRPC5 in DRG and involvement in murine models of OA. DESIGN: TRPC5 KO mice were subjected to partial meniscectomy (PMNX) or injected with monoiodoacetate (MIA) and pain-related behaviours were determined. Knee joint pathological scores were analysed and gene expression changes in ipsilateral synovium and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) determined. c-Fos protein expression in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the spinal cord was quantified. RESULTS: TRPC5 KO mice developed a discrete enhanced pain-related phenotype. In the MIA model, the pain-related phenotype correlated with c-Fos expression in the dorsal horn and increased expression of nerve injury markers ATF3, CSF1 and galanin in the ipsilateral DRG. There were negligible differences in the joint pathology between WT and TRPC5 KO mice, however detailed gene expression analysis determined increased expression of the mast cell marker CD117 as well as extracellular matrix remodelling proteinases MMP2, MMP13 and ADAMTS4 in MIA-treated TRPC5 KO mice. TRPC5 expression was defined to sensory subpopulations in DRG. CONCLUSIONS: Deletion of TRPC5 receptor signalling is associated with exacerbation of pain-like behaviour in OA which correlates with increased expression of enzymes involved in extracellular remodelling, inflammatory cells in the synovium and increased neuronal activation and injury in DRG. Together, these results identify a modulating role for TRPC5 in OA-induced pain-like behaviours.

TAB1-Induced Autoactivation of p38α Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Is Crucially Dependent on Threonine 185.

p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase is essential to cellular homeostasis. Two principal mechanisms to activate p38α exist. The first relies on dedicated dual-specificity kinases such as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAP2K) 3 (MKK3) or 6 (MKK6), which activate p38α by phosphorylating Thr180 and Tyr182 within the activation segment. The second is by autophosphorylation of Thr180 and Tyr182 in cis, mediated by p38α binding the scaffold protein TAB1. The second mechanism occurs during myocardial ischemia, where it aggravates myocardial infarction. Based on the crystal structure of the p38α-TAB1 complex we replaced threonine 185 of p38α with glycine (T185G) to prevent an intramolecular hydrogen bond with Asp150 from being formed. This mutation did not interfere with TAB1 binding to p38α. However, it disrupted the consequent long-range effect of this binding event on the distal activation segment, releasing the constraint on Thr180 that oriented its hydroxyl for phosphotransfer. Based on assays performed in vitro and in vivo, the autoactivation of p38α(T185G) was disabled, while its ability to be activated by upstream MAP2Ks and to phosphorylate downstream substrates remained intact. Furthermore, myocardial cells expressing p38α(T185G) were resistant to injury. These findings reveal a mechanism to selectively disable p38α autoactivation and its consequences, which may ultimately circumvent the toxicity associated with strategies that inhibit p38α kinase activity under all circumstances, such as with ATP-competitive inhibitors.

The TAB1-p38α complex aggravates myocardial injury and can be targeted by small molecules.

Inhibiting MAPK14 (p38α) diminishes cardiac damage in myocardial ischemia. During myocardial ischemia, p38α interacts with TAB1, a scaffold protein, which promotes p38α autoactivation; active p38α (pp38α) then transphosphorylates TAB1. Previously, we solved the X-ray structure of the p38α-TAB1 (residues 384-412) complex. Here, we further characterize the interaction by solving the structure of the pp38α-TAB1 (residues 1-438) complex in the active state. Based on this information, we created a global knock-in (KI) mouse with substitution of 4 residues on TAB1 that we show are required for docking onto p38α. Whereas ablating p38α or TAB1 resulted in early embryonal lethality, the TAB1-KI mice were viable and had no appreciable alteration in their lymphocyte repertoire or myocardial transcriptional profile; nonetheless, following in vivo regional myocardial ischemia, infarction volume was significantly reduced and the transphosphorylation of TAB1 was disabled. Unexpectedly, the activation of myocardial p38α during ischemia was only mildly attenuated in TAB1-KI hearts. We also identified a group of fragments able to disrupt the interaction between p38α and TAB1. We conclude that the interaction between the 2 proteins can be targeted with small molecules. The data reveal that it is possible to selectively inhibit signaling downstream of p38α to attenuate ischemic injury.