TRPA1 channels in the vasculature.

This review is focused on the role of the ankyrin (A) transient receptor potential (TRP) channel TRPA1 in vascular regulation. TRPA1 is activated by environmental irritants, pungent compounds found in foods such as garlic, mustard and cinnamon, as well as metabolites produced during oxidative stress. The structure of the channel is distinguished by the ∼14-19 ankyrin repeat (AR) domains present in the intracellular amino terminus. TRPA1 has a large unitary conductance (98 pS) and slight selectivity for Ca(2+) versus Na(+) ions (P(Ca) /P(Na)  ≈ 7.9). TRPA1 is involved in numerous important physiological processes, including nociception, mechanotransduction, and thermal and oxygen sensing. TRPA1 agonists cause arterial dilation through two distinctive pathways. TRPA1 channels present in perivascular nerves mediate vasodilatation of peripheral arteries in response to chemical agonists through a mechanism requiring release of calcitonin gene-related peptide. In the cerebral circulation, TRPA1 channels are present in the endothelium, concentrated within myoendothelial junction sites. Activation of TRPA1 channels in this vascular bed causes endothelium-dependent smooth muscle cell hyperpolarization and vasodilatation that requires the activity of small and intermediate conductance Ca(2+) -activated K(+) channels. Systemic administration of TRPA1 agonists causes transient depressor responses, followed by sustained increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may result from elevated sympathetic nervous activity. These findings indicate that TRPA1 activity influences vascular function, but the precise role and significance of the channel in the cardiovascular system remains to be determined.