Transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3), a member of the calcium-permeable thermosensitive TRP (thermoTRP) subfamily of receptors, is an important cutaneous sensor that detects thermal and chemical stimuli. TRPV3 is activated by innocuous warm temperature stimuli (>33 degrees C) and a variety of physiologically active substances. While the corneal epithelium is known to respond to such stimuli, it is unknown whether TRPV3 is involved in this phenomenon. We show here that TRPV3 mRNA and protein are abundantly expressed in the epithelial cells of human and mouse cornea. Carvacrol, an agonist of TRPV3, elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in both primary mouse corneal epithelial cells and cultured human corneal epithelial cells (HCE-T cells). The response to carvacrol was inhibited by ruthenium red, a TRPV channel antagonist. Moreover, repetitive agonist stimulation sensitized the response with gradually increasing amplitude, suggesting that the TRPV3 in the cornea has similar physiological and pharmacological characteristics to that in skin keratinocytes. Finally, a wound healing assay revealed that appropriate calcium ion influx via activated TRPV3 in corneal epithelial cells accelerated their proliferation. Thus, functional TRPV3 is present in corneal epithelial cells and may play a role not only in thermosensation, but also in the regulation of cell proliferation.