Tissue distribution of capsaicin receptor in the various organs of rats

Abstract
Capsaicin receptor (vanilloid receptor 1, VR1), a cation channel, has been recently cloned and shown to be expressed in a subset of sensory neurons (Caterina et al., 1997, Nature 389, 816-824). To examine the distribution of VR1 on the protein level in the whole body, we produced an antiserum against bacterially expressed VR1. Immunoblot analysis revealed that VR1 was expressed in not only nervous tissues including brain but tongue, esophagus, diaphragm, and leg muscle. In these tissues, VRl mRNA was also expressed (confirmed by RT-PCR). The significance of the expression in these muscles was discussed.

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