Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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CAPSAICIN, A HOT TOPIC IN SKIN PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY

CONSTANTIN CĂRUNTU 1,2#, CAROLINA NEGREI 3#*, MIHAELA ADRIANA GHIŢĂ 4#, ANA CĂRUNTU 5#, ANCA IOANA BĂDĂRĂU 2#, IOAN BURAGA 6#, DANIEL BODA 4#, ALICE ALBU 7#, DACIANA BRĂNIŞTEANU 8#

1.Immunology Department, "Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
2.Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
3.Department of Toxicology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
4.Dermatology Research Laboratory, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
5.“Dan Theodorescu” Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
6.Department of Neurology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Colentina Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
7.Department of Endocrinology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Elias Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
8.”Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania

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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.