ArticleNature neuroscience2008
Pungent agents from Szechuan peppers excite sensory neurons by inhibiting two-pore potassium channels.
Article in Nature neuroscience, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 105 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
105 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 252 citations in OpenAlex.
- Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Rutaceae): A Systematic Review of Its Traditional Uses, Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicology.International journal of molecular sciences · 2017Pooled it
- Study on the salivation effect of encapsulated food products containing Sichuan pepper oil.Clinical and experimental dental research · 2019Trial
- Trial
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- The TWK-26/KCNK3 potassium channel and FLR-4 protein kinase coordinate nutrient absorption in the C. elegans intestine.Genetics · 2026Article
- Chemesthetic Perception in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Ripening Stage: A Sensory Perspective.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Comparative Lipidomics Unveils Species-Specific Lipid Signatures in ThreeFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- K2P channels as emerging therapeutic targets for pain: insights from functional studies and transcriptomic analyses.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Mechanistic insights into the degradation andFood chemistry: X · 2025Article
- Insights into ion channels to identify drug target for neuropathic pain management.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Review
- Natural Compounds that Modulate Circadian Rhythms.Current topics in medicinal chemistry · 2025Review
- Alkamides inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- The Ubiquitin Ligase Adaptor NDFIP1 Interacts with TRESK and Negatively Regulates the Background KInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Timut Pepper Extract Slows Age-Dependent Decline of Mobility and Collagen Loss and Promotes Longevity.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Use of Buzz Buttons to Illustrate Taste Perception Principles in a Sensation and Perception Laboratory Exercise.Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · 2024Article
- Research advances ofFrontiers in immunology · 2024Review
- Stabilization of Hydroxy-α-Sanshool by Antioxidants Present in the GenusFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Article
- Membrane phospholipids control gating of the mechanosensitive potassium leak channel TREK1.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Separation and Purification of Hydroxyl-α-Sanshool fromInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
45 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
In traditional folk medicine, Xanthoxylum plants are referred to as 'toothache trees' because their anesthetic or counter-irritant properties render them useful in the treatment of pain. Psychophysical studies have identified hydroxy-alpha-sanshool as the compound most responsible for the unique tingling and buzzing sensations produced by Szechuan peppercorns or other Xanthoxylum preparations. Although it is generally agreed that sanshool elicits its effects by activating somatosensory neurons, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain a matter of debate. Here we show that hydroxy-alpha-sanshool excites two types of sensory neurons, including small-diameter unmyelinated cells that respond to capsaicin (but not mustard oil) as well as large-diameter myelinated neurons that express the neurotrophin receptor TrkC. We found that hydroxy-alpha-sanshool excites neurons through a unique mechanism involving inhibition of pH- and anesthetic-sensitive two-pore potassium channels (KCNK3, KCNK9 and KCNK18), providing a framework for understanding the unique and complex psychophysical sensations associated with the Szechuan pepper experience.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.