Calcium-dependent inhibition of T-type calcium channels by TRPV1 activation in rat sensory neurons

We studied the inhibitory effects of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) activation by capsaicin on low-voltage-activated (LVA, T-type) Ca²⁺ channel and high-voltage-activated (HVA; L, N, P/Q, R) currents in rat DRG sensory neurons, as a potential mechanism underlying capsaicin-induced analgesia. T-type and HVA currents were elicited in whole-cell clamped DRG neurons using ramp commands applied before and after 30-s exposures to 1 μM capsaicin. T-type currents were estimated at the first peak of the I–V characteristics and HVA at the second peak, occurring at more positive potentials. Small and medium-sized DRG neurons responded to capsaicin producing transient inward currents of variable amplitudes, mainly carried by Ca²⁺. In those cells responding to capsaicin with a large Ca²⁺ influx (59% of the total), a marked inhibition of both T-type and HVA Ca²⁺ currents was observed. The percentage of T-type and HVA channel inhibition was prevented by replacing Ca²⁺ with Ba²⁺ during capsaicin application or applying high doses of intracellular BAPTA (20 mM), suggesting that TRPV1-mediated inhibition of T-type and HVA channels is Ca²⁺-dependent and likely confined to membrane nano-microdomains. Our data are consistent with the idea that TRPV1-induced analgesia may derive from indirect inhibition of both T-type and HVA channels which, in turn, would reduce the threshold of nociceptive signals generation (T-type channel inhibition) and nociceptive synaptic transmission (HVA-channels inhibition).