Individuals with different skin tones respond to heat and mechanical stimulation differently due to the presence of dopamine present in the skin melanocyte.
People who have a dark-skin tone or light-skin tone respond differently to heat and mechanical stimulation and a novel protective mechanism identified explains the reason, reveals a new study.// The researchers were from the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research at the New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry).
‘Dopamine increases the skin's sensitivity to heat and enables individuals to adapt to extreme weather conditions.’
In a study published in Scientific Reports online on August 23, 2017, the investigators demonstrate that dopamine, a small molecule produced by skin melanocytes (cells that determine skin color), contributes to differences in the skin's responsiveness to heat and mechanical stimuli.The study was led by Brian L. Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, director of the Bluestone Center and professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at NYU Dentistry.
Dr. Schmidt explained how his group made the discovery. "Dr. Kentaro Ono, a visiting research scientist in my laboratory and the lead author, used publically available data to compare mechanical and heat pain sensitivity in groups of people who differed in their skin color. We sought out additional publically available data; however, this time we looked at pigmented and unpigmented rodents based on fur color. We were encouraged by our findings. We knew we had to continue to work in the laboratory to look for the mechanism that would explain why skin sensitivity would depend on color."
The group's meta-analysis in rodents, and comparison of genomic differences between mouse strains, pointed to a gene called Tyr, which controls pigmentation and dopamine synthesis in the skin. They manipulated dopamine levels in the skin and found that dopamine causes increased expression of TRPV1 and decreased expression of Piezo2, two proteins that are responsible for heat and mechanical sensitivity, respectively.
Study coauthor Yi Ye, PhD, associate director of clinical research operations at the Bluestone Center and assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at NYU Dentistry, said: "Our skin is a sensory organ that gives us information about our environment, such as temperature and pressure. Excessive heat or pressure produces a pain signal that warns us about the dangerous input. Our environmental condition can change our skin's sensitivity to environmental stimuli under selective pressure."
Advertisement
Dr. Schmidt speculates that differential mechanical and heat sensitivity might have implications for the clinical treatment of pain.
Advertisement
Source-Eurekalert