Vagal nerve TRPV3 regulates sedative-mediated appeasement

P Peiyu Wang (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) J Jinpiao Zhu (Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University) X Xuteng Lu (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) C Chang Chen B Bomin Gao (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) W Wanjiang Tao (Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University) K Keyu Xia (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) Y Yang Song (Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris (CMCP), 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France) Q Qiong Shi (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) H Hongcun Gai (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) P Panhao Xiao (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) F Feng Liu P Peiyuan Pang (State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University) Y Yang Li X Xiaoyi Mo (Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University) X Xiao-Dong Wang C Chang Xie (Department of Sports Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine) D Dongdong Li (Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China) Z Zongze Zhang (Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering) J Jing Yao

Abstract

Aromatic essential oils (EOs) exhibit anxiolytic properties, yet their neural and molecular mechanisms remain to be understood. Here, we found that citronellal, an EO derived from lemongrass, alleviates stress-related anxiety by modulating vagal tone. We identified transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) channel in nodose ganglion (NG) as the molecular target of citronellal. TRPV3 was also observed to mediate the antistress effects of the inhaled anesthetic sevoflurane. Both sedatives attenuated acute restraint stress-induced hyperactivity of heart and breath rates via glutamatergic neurotransmission along NG-to-caudal nucleus tractus solitarius (cNTS) pathway. This effect was abolished by surgical vagotomy, Trpv3 −/− , or NG-specific Trpv3 knockdown. Cryo-EM structural analysis revealed that sevoflurane occupies a pore-proximal fenestration site, while citronellal binds to the vanilloid site. Re-expression of wild-type TRPV3, but not loss-of-function TRPV3 mutants TRPV3(A560L) or TRPV3(V662A), in Trpv3 −/− NG neurons restored the mouse’s response to both sedatives, thereby modulating heart and respiratory rates. Together, these findings establish peripheral TRPV3 as a multisensory ligand-gated node for vagal modulation of stress responses, and help instruct pathway-specific anxiolytics.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 123, Issue 16
Published April 21, 2026
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (20)

P

Peiyu Wang

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

J

Jinpiao Zhu

Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University

X

Xuteng Lu

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

C

Chang Chen

B

Bomin Gao

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

W

Wanjiang Tao

Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University

K

Keyu Xia

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

Y

Yang Song

Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris (CMCP), 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France

Q

Qiong Shi

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

H

Hongcun Gai

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

P

Panhao Xiao

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

F

Feng Liu

P

Peiyuan Pang

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Hubei Provincial Research Center for Basic Biological Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University

Y

Yang Li

X

Xiaoyi Mo

Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University

X

Xiao-Dong Wang

C

Chang Xie

Department of Sports Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

D

Dongdong Li

Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China

Z

Zongze Zhang

Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

J

Jing Yao