Stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) excites peripheral sensory nerve fibres, but also exert antinociceptive effects. The differences in these nAChR-mediated effects could be related to the expression of different nAChR subtypes located on nociceptive neurons. In the present study, we focused on the recently described alpha 10-nAChR subunit, and on alpha 4 and alpha 7 subunits, which are the most abundant subunits in the central nervous system. In nociceptive neurons from thoracic and lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG), nAChR subunits were found at transcriptional (RT-PCR), translational (immunohistochemistry) and functional levels. Cultured DRG neurons express mRNA for the subunits alpha 2-7 and alpha 10. The alpha-subunit proteins 4, 7 and 10 were colocalised in virtually all nociceptive neurons that were identified by immunoreactivity for the vanilloid receptor TRPV-1. These findings were corroborated by current recordings and calcium measurements, which revealed excitatory inward currents and calcium responses in capsaicin sensitive neurons.