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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered a public health problem with numerous risk factors, such as hypertension. Besides the existing oral treatment for ED, there are individuals that do not respond to or present numerous side effects to this therapy. Changes in the TRP channels can lead to several clinical complications, such as hypertension. More specifically, the cooling-sensing TRPM8 channel could be a novel target for the development of new drugs. In this line, menthol, a natural product TRPM8 channel agonist may be a molecule for use to treat erectile dysfunction. Then, we conducted a patent review to evaluate the application of menthol focusing on the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The search was conducted on Espacenet® associating A61K31/045 and A61K36/534 codes or using keywords, “erectile dysfunction AND menthol”. We analyzed 1,331 patents, which fourteen patents were found with the use of menthol in the genitourinary system. Although the patents had menthol in their formulations, none went directly to the development of pharmaceutical applications to treat erectile dysfunction. Taking these data into account, the use of menthol in the treatment of erectile dysfunction has been underexplored and is an opportunity for research and technological development based on a high innovation potential.

A major limitation in the bio-medical sector is the availability of materials suitable for bone tissue engineering using stem cells and methodology converting the stochastic biological events towards definitive as well as efficient bio-mineralization. We show that osteoblasts and Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Pools (BM-MSCP) express TRPM8, a Ca2+-ion channel critical for bone-mineralization. TRPM8 inhibition triggers up-regulation of key osteogenesis factors; and increases mineralization by osteoblasts. We utilized CMT:HEMA, a carbohydrate polymer-based hydrogel that has nanofiber-like structure suitable for optimum delivery of TRPM8-specific activators or inhibitors. This hydrogel is ideal for proper adhesion, growth, and differentiation of osteoblast cell lines, primary osteoblasts, and BM-MSCP. CMT:HEMA coated with AMTB (TRPM8 inhibitor) induces differentiation of BM-MSCP into osteoblasts and subsequent mineralization in a dose-dependent manner. Prolonged and optimum inhibition of TRPM8 by AMTB released from the gels results in upregulation of osteogenic markers. We propose that AMTB-coated CMT:HEMA can be used as a tunable surface for bone tissue engineering. These findings may have broad implications in different bio-medical sectors.

The cation channel TRPA1 transduces a myriad of noxious chemical stimuli into nociceptor electrical excitation and neuropeptide release, leading to pain and neurogenic inflammation. Despite emergent evidence that TRPA1 is regulated by the membrane environment, it remains unknown whether this channel localizes in membrane microdomains or whether it interacts with cholesterol. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and density gradient centrifugation we found that mouse TRPA1 localizes preferably into cholesterol-rich domains and functional experiments revealed that cholesterol depletion decreases channel sensitivity to chemical agonists. Moreover, we identified two structural motifs in transmembrane segments 2 and 4 involved in mTRPA1-cholesterol interactions that are necessary for normal agonist sensitivity and plasma membrane localization. We discuss the impact of such interactions on TRPA1 gating mechanisms, regulation by the lipid environment, and role of this channel in sensory membrane microdomains, all of which helps to understand the puzzling pharmacology and pathophysiology of this channel., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The transient receptor potential melastatin subtype 8 (TRPM8) is a nonselective, multimodal ion channel, activated by low temperatures (, This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO-FEDER) SAF2015-66275-C2-R, Comunidad de Madrid (IND2017_BMD-7673) and CSIC (201880E109, 201980E030).

Background and Purpose Erectile dysfunction (ED) is frequently encountered in patients with arterial hypertension and there is a recently uncovered functional correlation between the expression of ...

Aims We determined if THC-002, a galenical produced from Ba-Wei-Die-Huang-Wan, could increase skin temperature and inhibit detrusor overactivity induced by sudden whole body cooling. Further, we determined if THC-002 could decrease expression of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channels associated with the cold responses. Methods Hind leg skin temperature of female 10-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats was measured by thermal imaging. Experimental rats (n = 12) were given oral 100 mg/kg THC-002 daily for one week, and controls (n = 12) were similarly treated with THC-002-free solution. Afterwards, thermal imaging and cystometric investigations of the freely moving conscious rats were performed at room temperature (RT, 27 ± 2°C) for 20 min. The rats were then transferred to a low temperature (LT, 4 ± 2°C) environment during which thermal imaging and cystometric measurements were taken at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 min. Afterward, the skin tissues were harvested to estimate expression levels of TRPM8 channels by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results The RT skin temperature of THC-002-treated rats was significantly higher than controls. During the first 20 min under LT, the control rats exhibited cold stress-induced detrusor overactivity such as decreased voiding interval and bladder capacity. THC-002 partially inhibited the detrusor overactivity patterns. During the second 20 min, skin temperature was relatively stable, and the detrusor overactivity of both groups slowly disappeared. THC-002 significantly reduced expression of TRPM8 channel protein and mRNA. Conclusions THC-002 inhibited cold stress-induced detrusor overactivity resulting from decreasing skin temperature. Therefore, THC-002 might provide resistance to cold stress-exacerbated lower urinary tract symptoms. Neurourol. Urodynam. 32: 486–492, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Both spinal and trigeminal somatosensory systems use the TRPM8 channel as a principal transducer for detecting cold stimuli. It is currently unclear whether this cold transducer may play a role in trigeminal neuropathic pain manifesting cold allodynia and hyperalgesia. In the present study, trigeminal neuropathy was induced by chronic constrictive nerve injury of the infraorbital nerve (ION-CCI). Behavioral responses to cold stimuli in orofacial regions were assessed by the newly developed orofacial operant test in the ION-CCI rats. We tested menthol and capsazepine, two compounds that can activate and inhibit TRPM8 respectively, on orofacial operant responses to cold stimuli in ION-CCI rats. Testing animals performed operant tasks by voluntarily contacting their orofacial regions to a cold stimulation module in order to access sweetened milk as a reward, and contact time and number of the operant behaviors were automatically recorded. Total contact time was significantly reduced at the cooling temperatures of 17°C and 12°C in ION-CCI group in comparison with sham group, indicating the presence of cold allodynia and hyperalgesia in ION-CCI rats. When menthol was administered to ION-CCI rats, total contact time was further reduced and total contact number increased at the cooling temperatures. In contrast, after administration of capsazepine to ION-CCI rats, total contact time was significantly increased at the cooling temperatures. The behavioral outcomes support the idea that TRPM8 plays a role in cold allodynia and hyperalgesia following chronic trigeminal nerve injury.

Background In mammals, detection of ambient temperatures is mainly mediated by thermosensory neurons residing in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and trigeminal ganglion (TG) [1-3]. Recently, neurons in the Grueneberg ganglion (GG) of the murine nasal vestibule have been found to be activated by cool temperatures [4,5]. Unlike coolness-sensitive cells in the DRG and TG, neurons in the GG lack the TRPM8 channel [6] which is considered as a principal detector of cold [1-3]. Therefore, GG neurons are supposedly endowed with a so far unknown thermosensor. Interestingly, coolness-sensitive GG neurons express signaling elements associated with cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), including the cGMP-activated ion channel CNGA3 and receptor guanylyl cyclase-G (GC-G) [6-8]. Recent observations suggest that cGMP signaling is crucial for thermotransduction in the GG [8]. However, whether GC-G directly acts as a temperature sensor remains elusive.