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. 2010 Dec;16(12):1396-9.
doi: 10.1038/nm.2264. Epub 2010 Nov 14.

Ocular surface wetness is regulated by TRPM8-dependent cold thermoreceptors of the cornea

Andrés Parra  1 , Rodolfo Madrid, Diego Echevarria, Susana del Olmo, Cruz Morenilla-Palao, M Carmen Acosta, Juana Gallar, Ajay Dhaka, Félix Viana, Carlos Belmonte
Affiliations

Ocular surface wetness is regulated by TRPM8-dependent cold thermoreceptors of the cornea

Andrés Parra et al. Nat Med. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Basal tearing is crucial to maintaining ocular surface wetness. Corneal cold thermoreceptors sense small oscillations in ambient temperature and change their discharge accordingly. Deletion of the cold-transducing ion channel Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 (TRPM8) in mice abrogates cold responsiveness and reduces basal tearing without affecting nociceptor-mediated irritative tearing. Warming of the cornea in humans also decreases tearing rate. These findings indicate that TRPM8-dependent impulse activity in corneal cold receptors contributes to regulating basal tear flow.

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