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. 2007 Jan 25;176(2):284-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.10.013. Epub 2006 Nov 7.

Thermal and nociceptive sensations from menthol and their suppression by dynamic contact

Barry G Green  1 , Kate L Schoen
Affiliations

Thermal and nociceptive sensations from menthol and their suppression by dynamic contact

Barry G Green et al. Behav Brain Res. .

Abstract

It was recently found that cooling the skin to temperatures as mild as 25-30 degrees C can induce nociceptive sensations (burning, stinging or pricking) that are strongly suppressed by dynamic contact between the thermode and skin (contact suppression). Here we investigated whether nociceptive sensations produced by menthol can be similarly suppressed. In the first experiment subjects rated the intensity of cold and burning/stinging/pricking sensations before and after application of 10% l-menthol to the forearm. Ratings were compared at resting skin temperature ( approximately 33 degrees C) and at 28, 24, or 20 degrees C during static or dynamic contact cooling via a Peltier thermode. At resting skin temperature, menthol produced cold and nociceptive sensations, both of which were suppressed by dynamic contact. When the skin was cooled during static contact, menthol increased nociceptive sensations but not cold sensations; when the skin was cooled during dynamic contact, cold sensations were again unchanged while nociceptive sensations were suppressed. A second experiment tested whether contact suppression of menthol's cold and nociceptive sensations at resting skin temperature was caused by slight deviations of thermode temperature above skin temperature. The results showed that suppression occurred even when the thermode was slightly cooler (-0.5 degrees C) than the skin. These findings support other evidence that the menthol-sensitive channel, TRPM8, plays a role in cold nociception, and raise new questions about how dynamic tactile stimulation may modify perception of nonpainful cold stimulation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shown is a diagram of the procedure used in experiment 1. Rectangular boxes in the Static Condition indicate periods when the thermode was in contact with the skin (RST = resting skin temperature). Thick vertical lines in both conditions indicate bouts of 5-sec thermal stimulation at the specified temperatures. Solid black arrows indicate intensity ratings made in response to dynamic contact and/or thermal stimulation; open arrows indicate baseline intensity ratings at RST prior to dynamic contact or thermal stimulation. Tsk indicates measurements of RST.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Log-mean perceived intensity ratings of thermal and nociceptive sensations are shown separately as a function of thermode temperature before (empty symbols)and after (filled symbols) application of 10% menthol to the forearm. Intensity ratings labeled “No Contact” were obtained at RST after menthol had been applied to the skin and just prior to thermal testing in the Dynamic Contact condition. Error bars indicate ± SEMs.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Log-mean perceived intensity ratings for thermal and nociceptive sensations after menthol application at RST prior to contact with the thermode (No Contact), after contact with the thermode set to RST, and with the thermode set to three temperatures. Open circles designate data obtained in the Static Contact condition; filled trials designate data obtained in the Dynamic Contact condition. The No Contact and RST ratings served as baseline measurements against which the effects of static and dynamic contact could be compared. Error bars indicate ± SEMs.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Log-mean perceived intensity ratings for thermal and nociceptive sensations obtained prior to menthol application in the Static Contact (filled circles) and Dynamic Contact (empty circles) conditions when the skin was actively cooled. Error bars indicate ± SEMs.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The number of subjects reporting each sensation quality in Exp. 1 after menthol application and during static (light gray bars) or dynamic contact (dark gray bars) with the thermode set to RST.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Log-mean perceived intensity ratings for cold sensations before (No Contact; filled diamonds), during (Time = 0) and at 20-sec intervals after dynamic contact. In the contact condition the thermode was adjusted to RST (0.0°C) or to one of two temperature offsets below (top graph) or above (bottom graph) RST. Error bars indicate ± SEMs.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Log-mean perceived warmth and cold ratings obtained during and after contact with the thermode set to RST. The cold ratings after menthol exposure (filled circles) are the same as the 0.0°C offset data in Fig. 6, and have been combined across warming and cooling sessions. The warm ratings (filled squares) were made together with the cold ratings. The data obtained without menthol (open symbols) were collected in a third (control) session. Error bars indicate ± SEMs.
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