Mortal Effect of Formaldehyde on VR1+-HEK293 Cell Model via a VR1 Activation Pathway

To establish a method detecting the expression of vanilloid receptor type 1 (VR1) and explore the physiological role of VR1 as a possible bio-target molecule of formaldehyde (FA), VR1⁺-HEK293 (human embryonic kidney, HEK) cell model was constructed using the VRl-cDNA plasmid through the molecular cloning and transfection technology. And then, testing of capsaicin and FA-induced cell death rate in transfected VR1⁺- HEK293 cells were carried out. The Results showed that VR1 was functionally expressed in VR1⁺-HEK293 cell model, and measurement of VR1⁺-HEK293 cell death rate should be an available and effective method, which can be applied in detecting the VR1 expression in cells in vitro; activated VR1 by FA could be blocked by capsazepine (CPZ), a specific antagonist of VR1, suggesting that VR1 may be the possible bio-target molecule of FA and related to the development of FA-induced airway irritant effect and neurogenic inflammation.