Capsaicin research as a new tool to approach of the human gastrointestinal physiology, pathology and pharmacology

Abstract

Application of capsaicin offers a new research tool for understanding the vanilloid-related events of human GI functions in relation to normal physiology and in disease states and the use of pharmacological agents affecting these receptor mediated changes.

Approach to Role of Capsaicin - Sensitive Afferent Nerves in the Development and Healing in Patients with Chronic Gastritis

“…The H. pylori infection was detected using the 14 C urea breath test ( 14 C UBT), the rapid urease test, and specific histological examinations. The gastric tissue samples were classified into the different groups of chronic gastritis to the updated Sydney system by an independent histopathologist (Dömötör et al, 2007, Lakner et al, 2010. The immunhistochemical studies were carried out on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue samples using anti-TRVP1 receptor, anti-SP and anti-CGRP antibodies.…”

“…Our attention has been focused on capsaicinsensitive afferent nerves during the last decades. The possible roles of the capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves have been approached to gastrointestinal tract from the years of 1980 by our work-team in animal experiments, in healthy human subjects with histological intact and in patients with different disorders (Mózsik et al, 1997(Mózsik et al, , 2001(Mózsik et al, , 2005a(Mózsik et al, , 2007. Capsaicin (given it in small doses) protected the gastrointestinal mucosal damage induced by different necrotizing agents (such as physical, chemical, drugs, etc.…”

“…Capsaicin (given it in small doses) protected the gastrointestinal mucosal damage induced by different necrotizing agents (such as physical, chemical, drugs, etc. ) in animal experiments and in human healthy subjects, in patients with different gastrointestinal disorders (Mózsik et al, 1997(Mózsik et al, , 2005a(Mózsik et al, , 2007(Mózsik et al, , 2009). The functional state of some part of afferent nerves (capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves) can be modified by application of capsaicin by a dose-dependent process (capsaicin, given in small doses stimulates, meanwhile given in higher dose produces reversible and irreversible inhibition or impairment) (Szolcsányi et al, 1984a;Mózsik et al, 2001).…”

“…The immunodistribution of neuropeptides (SP, VIP, NPY, SOM, GAL, and TH) released from the sensory neurons and their neuroimmune function are known in H. pylori positive gastritis, but not have been examined in gastritis without H. pylori infection (Sipos et al, 2006). The presence of this receptor and released neurotransmitters could be studied in the development of human gastrointestinal disorders including gastritis, peptic ulcer, polyp without and with dysplasia, tumour and inflammatory bowel diseases by immunhistological method (Kihara et al, 2003;Zhang et al, 2005b;Dömötör et al, 2005;Mózsik et al, 2007). In our further research significant changes were observed in the immunhistological distribution of TRPV1, CGRP and SP in patients with chronic H. pylori positive gastritis and in histological healthy subjects but no change could be detected between the patients suffered from chronic gastritis without or with H. pylori infection .…”

The Role of Capsaicin-Sensitive Afferent Nerves in Gastric Mucosal Protection Initiated Centrally or Peripherally under Experimental Conditions

“…Moreover, Szolcsányi and Barthó described that stimulation of afferent nerves by capsaicin resulted in mucosal protection against acid induced mucosal injury [63,71]. The role of sensory nerves in gastric mucosal defense was confirmed by the findings that capsaicin induces gastroprotective action following intragastric administration, both in experimental animals [71,72] and in humans [73].…”