CAPSAICIN, A HOT TOPIC IN SKIN PHARMACOLOGY AND
PHYSIOLOGY
CONSTANTIN CĂRUNTU1,2#, CAROLINA NEGREI3#*, MIHAELA ADRIANA GHIŢĂ4#, ANA CĂRUNTU5#, ANCA IOANA BĂDĂRĂU2#, IOAN BURAGA6#, DANIEL BODA4#, ALICE ALBU7#, DACIANA BRĂNIŞTEANU8#
1Immunology Department, "Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
2Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
3Department of Toxicology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
4Dermatology Research Laboratory, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
5“Dan Theodorescu” Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
6Department of Neurology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Colentina Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
7Department of Endocrinology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Elias Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
8”Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
*corresponding author: carol_n2002@hotmail.com
#All authors had equal contribution to designing and writing the presented paper.
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Abstract:
Capsaicin is a highly selective agonist for TRPV1 (transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1)
receptor. In the skin, the capsaicin receptor is present in nociceptive nerve fibres and non-neural structures and its activation
has a biphasic effect with an excitatory initial phase, followed by a persistent refractory state known as desensitisation,
suggesting the possibility of using capsaicin as a therapeutic agent in chronic pain syndromes and in chronic inflammatory
skin diseases. Investigation of cutaneous physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of action of capsaicin may lead to
identifying new therapeutic targets and new diagnostic methods useful in clinical practice.

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