In a subpopulation of colonic DRG neurons from mice, cGMP inhibited the neuronal excitability of putative nociceptors, significantly increasing their rheobase and reducing action potential discharge. In human DRG neurons, cGMP induced an overall reduction in the number of cells responding to hypo-osmotic stimulation. These results complement previous demonstrated finding that cGMP inhibited the peripheral endings of nociceptors within the wall of the colon.

AUTHORS: Joel Castro, Grigori Y. Rychkov, Andrea Ghetti, Andrea M. Harrington, Caroline Kurtz, Ada Silos-Santiago and Stuart M. Brierley