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Adding Capsaicin Improves Anesthetic Treatment

Posted by samzenpus on from the so-hot-it's-numb dept.

eldavojohn writes "It's no secret what capsaicin, the fiery molecule of peppers, does to cell walls. In fact, it's now being used to open cells up to local anesthetics. Combine it with a new drug that works only from the insides of cells and you have a great system for relieving pain. From the article, 'QX-314 is known to reduce the activity of pain-sensing neurons in the nervous system and theoretically heighten pain thresholds. But there's a catch: Researchers found that "it wouldn't work from outside a nerve cell but it would work if you could get it inside," says Bruce Bean, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the new study."

151 comments

  1. Just a thought... by thatskinnyguy · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...but wouldn't that burn like hell?

    --
    The game.
    1. Re:Just a thought... by wamerocity · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I actually was reading an article about capsaicin (which is also the active ingredient in pepper spray, hence the name). One doctor once recommended that oxycontin and other opiates should have capsaicin put into the pills. People who swallowed it wouldn't taste anything different, but people who take the drugs and chop them up into a powder and then snort it have a really special surprise in store for them, similar to what this guy did with wasabi.

      I'd guess people would only make that mistake once though.

      --
      "Thank you for using Stop-n-Drop, America's favorite suicide booth since 2008"
    2. Re:Just a thought... by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      capsaicin (which is also the active ingredient in pepper spray, hence the name) There is no capsaicin in pepper. Pepper is from a completely different family of plants. What you're referring to would more appropriately be called capsicum.

      --
      OLPC Australia
    3. Re:Just a thought... by wamerocity · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not to be a dick or anything, but it IS the active ingredient in peppers. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin, I quote "Capsaicin /kæpse.sn/ (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the active component of chilli,(sic) peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact"

      --
      "Thank you for using Stop-n-Drop, America's favorite suicide booth since 2008"
    4. Re:Just a thought... by Max+Littlemore · · Score: 3, Insightful

      A similar thought occurred to me when I read ths summary.

      Although I took it a bit further into the apparent repetition of certain features in nature. For example, when I grew up we had jumping ants with a really nasty sting that always lived near a plant which was a perfect anditote to the sting, and stinging trees always lived near their antidote, etc.

      I digress. The initial thought was that cloves make a good local anesthetic for dental problems, but they burn like hell when you first chew them until the anesthetic kicks in. I'm wondering whether the mechanism that creates the burning sensation is similar to the burning of chili and whether they too open cell walls? Anyone have any insight into this?

      --
      I don't therefore I'm not.
    5. Re:Just a thought... by martinX · · Score: 4, Informative

      Could be a difference in common names here...

      In Australia, these things are called Capsicums (no, no-one calls them Capsica :-) ) We reserve the word "pepper" exclusively for that stuff made from peppercorns. Chillis are chillis, not chilli peppers.

      Capsicums in the US are called, I believe, bell peppers.

      --
      When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
    6. Re:Just a thought... by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 1

      Not to be a dick or anything, but it IS the active ingredient in peppers. In that case, what do you call the black stuff that normally accompanies salt on a dining table?
      --
      OLPC Australia
    7. Re:Just a thought... by Mr.+Freeman · · Score: 1

      Not if you quickly administer a pain killer as in the example? (joke).

      Seriously though, I'm pretty sure there's something more too it. Probably something that would warrant reading the article. Just a guess.

      --
      -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
    8. Re:Just a thought... by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Informative
      Not to be a dick or anything, but it IS the active ingredient in peppers.

      It's a language problem.

      Outside the US, capsicums and chillies aren't called "peppers". Interestingly though, the piperine which makes real pepper (the spice) taste hot works on the TRPV ion channel in the same way as capsaicum, so it might have a similar effect.

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    9. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pepper spray is usually concentrated from chilies (chili _peppers_ here in the states). We also use the term pepper to refer to ground peppercorns and chilies interchangeably, hence the confusion.

    10. Re:Just a thought... by DMUTPeregrine · · Score: 4, Informative

      Bell Peppers are actually the only chilli peppers that do NOT contain capsaicin.

      --
      Not a sentence!
    11. Re:Just a thought... by TheDugong · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Outside the US, capsicums and chillies aren't called "peppers"."

      I have only heard capsicums them called capsicums in English speaking countries in the South Pacific. Capsicums are certainly called green/red/yellow peppers in the UK. Arguably, we (Australia) and NZ are the odd ones out.

      Peppers I will agree with though.

    12. Re:Just a thought... by justin12345 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sounds like a plan... except for one thing. Capsaicin come out just as hot as it goes in. Add to that the constipation that opiates cause and you are talking about an excruciating bowel movement.

      --
      Cool art gallery, if you're into that sort of thing.
    13. Re:Just a thought... by TheDugong · · Score: 1

      "Peppers I will agree with though."
      Whoops, meant chillies are not called peppers outside of USA (North America?).

    14. Re:Just a thought... by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      I'd guess people would only make that mistake once though.

      I think you're underestimating what addicts will do for their drug of choice.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    15. Re:Just a thought... by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      That's the one thing I hate about sitting down with a tub of spicy whatever. It's like a pepper hangover.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    16. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably Caryophyllene which is also found in black pepper amongst other things besides cloves.

      Interestingly to me was the sesquiterpene linked on the wikepedia page can also be obtained evergreens and my grandfather used to make liniment he derived from cedar and I am not sure what else. While still what they would call underage these days he used to drive the local doctor's carriage and assist him when he could, which included gathering items the doctor used to derive treatments based on things he had learned in med school, from doctors he trained under and even things he learned from the Native Americans. My grandfather also learned some from the Cherokee side of his family and others. So I can't speak for sure as to where he got his recipe for it or even what the recipe was, other then I recall the cedar because he would soak it in some solution in old gallon milk jugs he saved from when they were still made of glass. Now I wish I had spent more time speaking with him on such things during our rare visits. It was probably close to one of the recipes you can find Googling for cedar liniment though.

      TFA states they are seeking a way to imitate the function they have noticed in capsaicin by a chemicul process. Unfortunately this is all too common these days as the major reason for it is they can't patent herbal remedies. They are in many cases chemicully but often not as effectively duplicating old herbal remedies and new herbal remedies and patenting them so they can charge for them. This after they have spent years getting med schools and doctors to avoid herbal remedies. Aspirin for example is essentially what you would get from making a tea with willow bark with some additives to help avoid stomach pains.

    17. Re:Just a thought... by ChameleonDave · · Score: 4, Informative

      Outside the US, capsicums and chillies aren't called "peppers".

      Nonsense. Don't confuse Australia with "outside the US". Australia is strange in reserving the word "pepper" for actual Piper nigrum. The UK, for example, is just like the US in that "pepper" is used to refer to the fruit of the Capsicum genus native to Mexico. The hot varieties are called "chillis" or "chilli peppers", and the mild varieties are known as "green peppers", "yellow peppers" or "red peppers" according to their colour; the generic term is "sweet peppers". Piper nigrum is known as "black pepper" or "white pepper" according to its colour.

      There is never any ambiguity even when a colour is not mentioned, as the word is used as a mass noun to refer to Piper nigrum and a count noun to refer to Capsicum, i.e. "I like pepper" means one thing and "I like peppers" means another.

      The recycling of the word "pepper" is not even peculiar to English: the word for Capsicum is many languages is just a minor variation on the word for Piper nigrum. Here are the respective words for pepper, sweet peppers, and chilli in some languages. French: poivre, poivron, piment/chili. Spanish: pimienta, pimiento, chile/ají. Italian: pepe, peperone, peperoncino.

      Strangely, Australians will use the word "peppers" to refer to Capsicum if they are roasted. I believe this is under foreign influence. They do, however, stubbornly make sure that pepper spray (containing capsaicin) is always referred to as "capsicum spray".

      Aussies tend to think that their usage is more exact than UK/US usage, in that they do not extend the old-world term "pepper" to cover the new-world fruit, but what they usually don't realise is that to botanists "Capsicum" includes the fiery fruits which Aussies always call "chillis", and never "capsicum".

      One final bit of trivia: Australians virtually always mispronounce it "capsicun", although they are rarely aware of it.

      — A Brit in Oz

    18. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not just the South Pacific -- they're called capsicums in India as well.

    19. Re:Just a thought... by adatepej · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Brilliant idea. "Let's turn our pharmaceuticals into weapons in the war on drugs."

      Why do I have to unnecessarily swallow capsaicin everytime I take a pill? Oh, so we can make somebody else's nose sting.

      That'll put a big dent in drug use.

    20. Re:Just a thought... by adatepej · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, those "addicts" out there will do a bit for their drug of choice, but they're not going to snort some sadistically formulated pill, if that's what you're thinking.

      They're just going to take whatever other prescription opiate is most available at the time. And others will just find a way around capsaicin and any other measure devised by those who'd waste their talents devising ways of preventing other people from taking pills of their own volition.

      It's a war that can't be won, nor does it deserve to be. It's wrong-headed and truly hateful towards freedom.

    21. Re:Just a thought... by linzeal · · Score: 1

      Except your body does build tolerance for it. I eat Blair's on my food from an English breakfast to sushi and my bottom like my mouth have built up such a tolerance that anything less than 400,000 scoville or so and it might as well be from Taco Bell.

      --
      An Education is the Font of All Liberty
    22. Re:Just a thought... by linzeal · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I believe they do have the genes for it though. My friend grew some that actually had some bite.

      --
      An Education is the Font of All Liberty
    23. Re:Just a thought... by KKlaus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Uh... isn't that a violation of the Hippocratic oath? And thank god booby trapping is still considered shameful and unamerican. Sheesh.

      --
      Relax I just want some peanuts.
    24. Re:Just a thought... by KKlaus · · Score: 1

      and just to add to that, I'm all for making drugs more difficult to abuse (along the lines of putting S2O in racing N2O), but can we be a little less malicious about it?

      --
      Relax I just want some peanuts.
    25. Re:Just a thought... by packeteer · · Score: 3, Informative

      Piper nigrum does come in green and red varieties although this is always called "green peppercorn" and "red peppercorn" in the USA anyway.

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    26. Re:Just a thought... by zeromorph · · Score: 2

      Black Pepper (or White Pepper) I guess, except in a China restaurant, where you would probably call it Sichuan Pepper, which again is a very different plant. And on some occasions you'll have Cayenne Pepper , which in turn is made from a kind of chili, and thus is also called chili pepper.

      Actually, pepper just means "that hot stuff on the table and/or food" and is not very helpful, when talking about plant species.

      --
      "Hannibal's plans never work right. They just work." Amy/A-Team
    27. Re:Just a thought... by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      Australia is strange in reserving the word "pepper" for actual Piper nigrum.

      In Finland, "pepper" translates to "pippuri" which is likewise reserved for Piper nigrum. Sweet peppers are called "paprika", and Capsicums are usually called "chili", or by the native name of the specific variant. Chili powder is often called "chilipippuri" though, but this is probably due to the association with black/white pepper.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    28. Re:Just a thought... by begbiezen · · Score: 1

      They already do load many drugs with irritants so as to make snorting them VERY painful. This Is NOT new. (I'd rather not explain how I know this) Wonder why they don't already do this with oxycontin? O yeah, they make billions off of addicts. scum of the planet.

    29. Re:Just a thought... by ChameleonDave · · Score: 1

      Australia is strange in reserving the word "pepper" for actual Piper nigrum.

      In Finland, "pepper" translates to "pippuri" which is likewise reserved for Piper nigrum. Sweet peppers are called "paprika", and [hot] Capsicums are usually called "chili", or by the native name of the specific variant. Chili powder is often called "chilipippuri" though, but this is probably due to the association with black/white pepper.

      The way you quoted me there makes it look like you think that your comment contradicts mine, but it doesn't. I was talking about Australia (and New Zealand too, come to think of it) being unusual in the way they use the word "pepper" in English. Finnish is rather irrelevant in this respect.

      Thanks for the info, however. It confirms my other point, which was that English is not the only language to use words originally meaning old-world pepper to refer to new-world peppers too. (The word paprika comes from the Latin piper.)

    30. Re:Just a thought... by ThJ · · Score: 1

      In my home country of Norway we use:

      pepper - plain table pepper
      paprika - mild red/green pepper
      chili/chilipepper - strong red/green pepper

      "Pepper" alone always refers to black or white pepper. "Paprika" usually refers to the fruit but can refer to the seasoning. "Chili" should be pretty unambiguous. The English language way is confusing to me, and it seems that it actually confuses native English speakers too. Maybe you English speaking folks ought to change those names...

    31. Re:Just a thought... by Stickerboy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Uh... isn't that a violation of the Hippocratic oath? And thank god booby trapping is still considered shameful and unamerican. Sheesh.

      Not at all. Why do you think Vicodin, Lortab, Percocet etc. contain acetaminophen? It's not for the pain relief - the opiates do a hell of a job for that. It's to give the drugs a maximum a person can take per time period before they deplete their glutathione and fry their liver.

      Some opiate seekers understand this but OD on them anyways.

      --
      Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
    32. Re:Just a thought... by CarpetShark · · Score: 2, Funny

      i.e. "I like pepper" means one thing and "I like peppers" means another.


      Ahh, but what if your dog is called peppers? Where does that leave you? Eh? EH?? ;)
    33. Re:Just a thought... by vorpal22 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As someone who currently has to take Oxycontin several times a day for pain management due to severe Crohn's Disease, this really would eliminate Oxycontin as a pain relief option for me; I *love love love* chilli peppers (my passion is studying Thai cooking), but when I'm flaring, there is no way that my body can tolerate them even in small quantities and they will make me violently ill. My intestines would resemble a minefield and I would have to camp out next to the bathroom, as the capsaicin would negate the pleasant, constipating side effect of the oxycodone (a huge boon for me).

      There has also been a lot of talk in putting opioid antagonists in Oxycontin (i.e. naloxone or naltrexone) to negate the oxycodone's effects when people chew / smash the pills, but there are also inherent problems with this approach (it can induce immediate drug withdrawal in those with dependency, e.g. me).

      I would be very surprised if there was a good chemical solution to this problem that didn't come with a host of problems of its own.

    34. Re:Just a thought... by bingoathome · · Score: 1

      I know that "I agrees" are not quite correct - but hear fricking hear

    35. Re:Just a thought... by It'sYerMam · · Score: 1

      Uh, pepper? Or do we have to think of a different word for the fruit of the plant 'citrus sinensis'?

      --
      im in ur .sig, writin ur memes.
    36. Re:Just a thought... by MttJocy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I can just see people crushing them up and putting them into a gel cap or something, would still defeat the time release mechanism if any in the tablet and opioid are generally plenty active enough orally (granted not as quick to take effect as insufflation but would still work).

      When will those coming up with all these ideas lean that nothing is going to stop people who willingly choose to enjoy drugs, every method they have come up with has ultimately been defeated in time, from messing with the pharmaceuticals by the addition of more toxic drugs (Acetaminophen etc, which is in fact not such a great idea for chronic use either, like for example in a patient with long term pain) which can be removed by something as simple as a cold water extraction

      Mind you, they can always rely on modern philosophy of prohibition, that worked so well the first time right? and unsurprisingly works just a badly this time round. How ridiculous is it to have a law which creates crime across areas well beyond the scope of the law itself from burglary to murder, all in an attempt to stop a few people choosing a drug which doesn't fit a ridiculous narrow view of what is "acceptable" or are considered "dangerous" like alcohol and tobacco don't kill people. The idiocy would be funny if the effects were not so devastating on the economy and society in general.

    37. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately, this stuff does not only burn when _entering_ the system.

    38. Re:Just a thought... by TheDreadSlashdotterD · · Score: 1

      It's obviously a proper noun at that point and should be spelled "Peppers" in order to distinguish it as such. Also, it's referring to a dog, so the meaning becomes obvious after you hear "Sic'em Peppers!"

      --
      I have nothing to say.
    39. Re:Just a thought... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      One doctor once recommended that oxycontin and other opiates should have capsaicin put into the pills. People who swallowed it wouldn't taste anything different, but people who take the drugs and chop them up into a powder and then snort it have a really special surprise in store for them.
      I can picture Rush Limbaugh writhing around in pain on the 8th hole at Pebble Beach, while Dick Cheney and O.J. Simpson stand around laughing at him.

      Thank you for putting that image in my head.
      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    40. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They don't. You stupid and a pussy.

    41. Re:Just a thought... by kypper · · Score: 1

      Bell peppers are sweet, not hot. The ones you're referring to may look like mini bell peppers are actually referred to as Scotch Bonnets(Jamaican Peppers) or Habaneros.

    42. Re:Just a thought... by GeneRex · · Score: 1

      When my son was being treated for shingles, his doctor recommended applying some of this pepper stuff to his skin right next to (but not directly on)his hives. The idea is that the sensation the peppers creates "overpowers" the pain from the shingles. It kind of fools the brain into focusing on the pepper pain instead of the nerve tingling caused by the shingles.

    43. Re:Just a thought... by jamesshuang · · Score: 1

      It might be wrong headed, but it sure would be funny :-D

    44. Re:Just a thought... by Paul+Jakma · · Score: 1

      Capsaicin come out just as hot as it goes in.

      Cause your not digesting it. Presumably because your gastro-intestinal tract isn't accustomed to it and is trying to expel it ASAP.

      Keep eating chili and this stops happening pretty quickly, and you can start to enjoy the chili high.

      (I don't think chili is an opiate though? Never heard that before, nor has wikipædia, AFAICT).

      --
      I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.
    45. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quiet wrong, they only have a trace amount, however those who are highly sensitive to it can still taste it, it still burns them up. My wife, before her first child was such a woman... but my son apparently wanted jalepenos while in the womb, and she got over it...

      There are those who have reactions to our spicy chemical, it's spicy for a reason, the spice is supposed to tell our body's "Hey, don't eat it, it hurts, it's probably bad for us."

      If I had problems, I hate to recieve a feel good drug that ends up causing me more pain.

      BTW, my wife reads this too... so I am going AC in hopes that she doesn't read it... she really doesn't want everyone to know about her 'quirks'

    46. Re:Just a thought... by justin12345 · · Score: 1

      No kidding! My uncle makes this incredible pepper-sprayH^H^H^ I mean, hot sauce. He makes it from the roasted habbanero seeds. Its so hot that literally just a drop will make most meals so hot that some novices can't eat then. On the other hand, he drowns everything he eats in it, like a kid putting catsup on french fries. Lately I've been eating really spicy southwestern food everyday (in the area of Brooklyn I work in there is little else) and I'm proud to say that the last time I saw him I was able to eat (and more importantly digest) a couple good sized dabs.

      --
      Cool art gallery, if you're into that sort of thing.
    47. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to be a dick or anything, but it IS the active ingredient in peppers. what other ingredients go into peppers?
    48. Re:Just a thought... by Smauler · · Score: 1

      My doctor does this too. Only last week I went in for an ingrowing toenail, and he set me on fire. I couldn't feel the pain of my toenail at all after that! Brilliant!

    49. Re:Just a thought... by ca111a · · Score: 1

      constipation that opiates cause
      print "combine with prune juice" on the box

    50. Re:Just a thought... by davidsyes · · Score: 1

      Introducing the NHEUUW QX-314? Burns rubber like hell at 400 h.p., and for qualified buyers, a free barrel of Capsaicin...

      --
      Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
    51. Re:Just a thought... by zobier · · Score: 1

      (I don't think chili is an opiate though? Never heard that before, nor has wikipædia, AFAICT). If you re-read the GP post you will see that some physicians were recommending adding it to drugs as a deterrent to people taking them in ways they don't want them too (e.g. snorting, injecting) like a kind of DRM (without the D).
      PS: It's Wikipedia!
      --
      Me lost me cookie at the disco.
    52. Re:Just a thought... by Monkier · · Score: 1

      Aussies tend to think that their usage is more exact than UK/US usage Can't speak for all Aussies - but I didn't even know our usage of the word "Capsicum" was distinct until I holidayed in Hawaii. I definitely didn't think "Capsicum" was any more correct. I didn't even know why we used a different word, just assumed it was something we used from UK English.
    53. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just to clarify your statement: standard black peppercorns come from the exact same plant as white peppercorns, red peppercorns and green peppercorns.

      It all depends on harvest time and post harvest treatment, much the same as the difference between black, green and white tea. (Red tea is not technically tea, but an herbal infusion)

    54. Re:Just a thought... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 1

      Bell Peppers are not Capsicums, I'm pretty sure.

      Capsicums include some pretty violently hot (and delicious) peppers, such as the Bhut Jolokia.

      I was able to obtain some Bhut Jolokia seeds and will be attempting to grow them next year. :)

      As for your claim that the word "pepper" is reserved for peppercorns, I'm pretty sure http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/ might disagree. But that is probably, as you say, a difference in common names and probably a regional thing.

      --

      "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

      Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
    55. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Bell Peppers are actually the only chilli peppers that do NOT contain capsaicin.

      That's not true

    56. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of CowboyNeal.

      *Yawns*

    57. Re:Just a thought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I've got a bum like a Japanese flag."

      Flushed Away

    58. Re:Just a thought... by qualidafial · · Score: 1

      An Australian pepper, maybe, but not a European pepper, that's my point.

    59. Re:Just a thought... by martinX · · Score: 1

      I was pretty sure that was the case, but that just emphasises the confusion that can arise when people are talking about scientific names versus regional name, especially when there's multiple regional names.

      Another point of difference: cilantro (US) and coriander (Australia). Made recipes confusing for me for a while. "Honey, where's the see-lan-trow?"

      --
      When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
    60. Re:Just a thought... by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

      :D Those are very good points.

  2. Cell walls? by Atmchicago · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mammalian cells have no cell walls. Do they mean plasma membrane? This is basic biology, guys, please get your facts straight.

    --

    You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.

    1. Re:Cell walls? by sam_handelman · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's-a-spicy pain-a-pill.

        Seriously, mod parent up.

      --
      The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
    2. Re:Cell walls? by ragingmime · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It's no secret what capsaicin, the fiery molecule of peppers, does to cell walls.

      Actually, I've studied cell biology and I have no idea what capscaicin does to cell walls (or even plasma membranes.) Come to think of it, chili pepper cells have walls, and capsaicin doesn't seem do anything to them. So maybe it is a secret after all.

      --
      I produce electronic music and write little games. Have a look.
    3. Re:Cell walls? by wizardforce · · Score: 4, Informative

      correct, the plasma membrane is studded with a number of receptors, ion channels and signalling compounds- this in particular seems to use capsacian as a "key" to allow the second compound through so that it can work. the plasma membrane being semipermeable as it is, does act somewhat like a wall- a barrier that maintains a chemical gradient/controlled intracellular environment. an all too common mistake on their part.

      --
      Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
    4. Re:Cell walls? by dr_d_19 · · Score: 1

      This is the No Fact Zone. You must be new here.

    5. Re:Cell walls? by Fred_A · · Score: 1

      Mammalian cells have no cell walls. Do they mean plasma membrane? This is basic biology, guys, please get your facts straight.

      It's a pill for plants, RTFA ! (no I didn't read it either)
      --

      May contain traces of nut.
      Made from the freshest electrons.
    6. Re:Cell walls? by csubi · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not a secret - capsaicin opens the Vanilloid Receptor 1, also known as TRPV1, when binding. So it does "open up" the cell membrane but these openings are quite specific and small, the open VR1 will mostly let through hydrated Ca2+ ions.
      And not all cells express the VR1 - it is mostly nerve cells responsible for transmitting signals for inflammatory and neuropathic pain and epithelial cells like the skin lining our mouths.
      Unlucky for those who like to feel their mouth burn when eating a good chili con carne(like me), the receptor is also expressed in the cells of the anal region - hence the burning feeling in the butt, when going to crap 1-2 days after eating the hot dish...:)
      Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRPV1

    7. Re:Cell walls? by nanoakron · · Score: 1

      Never mind the fact that existing local anaesthetic molecules also work by blocking the inner aspect of the voltage gated sodium channel.

  3. We're screwed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Bruce Bean, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the new study
    Mr. Bean is a professor of neurobiology? I wonder if he presented his thesis with a turkey stuck on his head.
    1. Re:We're screwed... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      Yes, the FA is actually part of a script for Rowan Atkinson's new feature film, "Mr. Bean Goes to College."

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  4. Terrible Write Up by headhot · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well the Write Up didn't make any sense so I read the link. Here is the deal.
    1. QX-314 block pain neurons. It doesnt block other neurons for heat, pressure, ect.
    2. QX-314 only works if you can get it inside the neuron cell itself.
    3. Capsaicin opens a channel on only pain neurons that will let QX-314 through.

    So, using Capsaicin and QX-314 together, you can block pain but no other senses.

    1. Re:Terrible Write Up by FlatCatInASlatVat · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Close, but not quite:

      1. QX-314 blocks all neurons.
      2. QX-314 only works if you can get it inside the neuron cell itself.
      3. Capsaicin opens a channel on only pain neurons that will let QX-314 through.

    2. Re:Terrible Write Up by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Funny

      Any way you slice it, this is bad news for masochists.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    3. Re:Terrible Write Up by megaditto · · Score: 1

      I don't know about that. Someone like that goatse guy just had to have been using some of that lidocaine stuff.

      Overall, this new capsaicin/lidocaine EthBr mixture could be good news for the guys that enjoy disco dancing, archery, rape, and table tennis.

      --
      Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
    4. Re:Terrible Write Up by complete+loony · · Score: 1

      I wonder how it fairs against that pain ray that was on here a while ago.

      --
      09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
    5. Re:Terrible Write Up by zobier · · Score: 1

      Any way you slice it, this is bad news for masochists. I don't know, I would have thought there would be some masochists that would welcome a bit of slicing.
      --
      Me lost me cookie at the disco.
  5. just turn on primetime by User+956 · · Score: 3, Funny

    From the article, 'QX-314 is known to reduce the activity of pain-sensing neurons in the nervous system and theoretically heighten pain thresholds.

    Ah, yes, much like watching American Idol.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  6. There's a much easier way to get this effect... by anandamide · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thai Food and Beer.

    1. Re:There's a much easier way to get this effect... by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 1

      Thai Food and Beer.

      Nah, that combination just gives you a hangover at both ends.

      --
      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  7. Mmmmm Capsicum. by spyder-implee · · Score: 0

    I like the red ones better :P

    --
    Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
  8. Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by jacobcaz · · Score: 3, Funny
    I want to see an anethetic/capiscum hot sauce. So you get a brief busrt of fiery goodness, then soothing numbness follows.

    "Why yes, I will have my buffalo wings in the Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce please!"

    1. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by teebob21 · · Score: 1

      It already exists.

      Visit Alice Cooper's Town in Phoenix, AZ if you ever get the chance. They serve Wings of Mass Destruction, the hottest wings I've ever eaten (and I love HOT wings). An order is a dozen wings. The first one makes your mouth and throat burn, the second one makes you want to die. If you make it that far, you're in the clear. At this point, your taste buds are so thrashed that you won't taste your meal. That's a pity, because their 1/2 pound Pepper Jack Cheeseburger is awesome. I only tasted the last three bites of it, though, since I ate 10 WMD's.

      It took a full 4 or 5 hours for my sense of taste to return. No pain, though, after the 2nd wing. I'm definitely eating there again.

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    2. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      But how was the exit scenario?

    3. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by DMUTPeregrine · · Score: 1

      Your brain produces endorphins in response to eating spicy food. This is why spice seems to stop hurting after a bit. This is also why pepperheads, like myself, eat peppers: the endorphin rush is enjoyable independently from the taste of the pepper (which can also be good, of course.) I eat red savina Habaneros plain. I want to try a Bhut Jolokia, but no one in my area sells them.

      --
      Not a sentence!
    4. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by teebob21 · · Score: 1

      Not bad at all.

      Capsaicin typically only causes lower bowel irritation if improperly digested in the upper GI. My constitution seems to handle the wings just fine.

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    5. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by teebob21 · · Score: 1

      Actually, in addition to the endorphins, neurons exposed to capsaicin fire repeatedly until they exhaust their supply of neurotransmitters. They continue to fire even when depleted due to the neurotoxic effect of the substance, but no sensation is transmitted. The effect can even damage or kill neurons with excessive exposure, making capsaicin a "double-edged sword" in medicinal use.

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    6. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by ChameleonDave · · Score: 1

      I want to see an anethetic/capiscum hot sauce. So you get a brief busrt of fiery goodness, then soothing numbness follows.

      "Why yes, I will have my buffalo wings in the Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce please!"

      Such a thing almost exists. Chinese Sichuan pepper has a numbing effect, and it is often combined with chilli in Chinese cuisine. I have it all the time.
    7. Re:Icy Hot-n-blazin' sauce by Swave+An+deBwoner · · Score: 1

      Odd, your reference is to a term paper at Berkeley, and it looks like all of the papers do not list the author's name. I would have expected Berkeley to at least render credit where credit is due to the authors of these term papers which the university has decided to make publicly available on their website. (Yes, I realize that the student authors already received "credit" towards their degrees, but I know of no scientists who would happily see their hard work displayed without attribution, and see no reason for such liberty to be taken towards students' work.)

  9. Just don't try to board a plane by Mean+Mr.+Mycroft · · Score: 1

    It could land you in a detention cell.

  10. More than just that... by RobertM1968 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It helps metabolize fat, helps with prostrate issues and a bunch of other things as well...

    It can be taken in pill form (for those who dont like eating red hot chili peppers) which is good considering some of its benefits require moderate to large doses.

    When combined with other spices such as garlic and cinnamon, the results in numerous areas are quite good, and quite nice... (adding to the list above better sugar absorption, insulin creation, appetite suppression, thermogenic fat burning without lean muscle mass loss, pain relief, sinusitus relief and a LOT more)

    Interestingly none of this is news... it's ALL ancient news - that the pharmaceutical companie$ dont want people to know... a nice spicy/sweet bowl of chili (made with just a tiny pinch of cinnamon, a bunch of chili powder, and some garlic) each day (or substitute with a different food that those ingredients can be put in from a steak sauce to you name it) and you've eliminated billions of dollars in income for related chemically created products from the pharm companies - and you have also eliminated the side effects.

    --
    StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
    1. Re:More than just that... by teebob21 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Excluding my closet addition to hot wings, I've been enjoying the benefits of capsicum for a few years now. I make a tincture of capsicum very similar to this one, listed in the 1918 USP Dispensary.

      I use 15 fresh habanero peppers and 1 quart of the cheapest 90+ proof vodka I can find. Put them in a mason jar, seal TIGHTLY, and let sit for 4-6 months. Pour off the liquid and discard the peppers (or eat them, I guess, if you're insane). Store the tincture in the freezer. It should remain liquid even at 0 degrees or below due to the alcohol. That is why I use 90+ proof. Administer 1 ounce every few days. You HAVE to shoot it. The vodka should be super cold when you drink it, so the burn from the capsicum is minimized by the temperature and the quick drinking. I always feel a warm heat in my gut after a shot, as the capsicum gets absorbed.

      Don't use this tincture daily or more often, as it can cause serious GI irritation in quantity. Believe me, you do NOT want to vomit the stuff. Just imagine shoving a peeled habanero into your nose/sinuses for an idea of the pleasure. Also, keep away from eyes.

      This is cheaper than buying capsaicin tablets, and more fun, too! Challenge your buddies to a (single) shot of habanero sometime...Enjoy!

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    2. Re:More than just that... by FranTaylor · · Score: 1

      What you are doing seems like a lot of work. I think perhaps you will get more out of this if you combine with garlic and cinnamon as another poster suggests.

      Those folks from India are getting it right again.

      Why not just make and eat lots of delicious curry? Alcohol is fun, but it is also a poison. They did not appreciate this fact so much back in 1918.

    3. Re:More than just that... by teebob21 · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's not taken for the fun. The alcohol acts as a solvent for the nonpolar capsaicin molecule. Water would not have the same effect. Making an alcohol-based tincture allows for concentrations not possible with water, due to the polar nature of water. It's really not a lot of work: Make it; wait for first batch to finish; drink occasionally; have next batch in the garage waiting. Quite useful for those who dislike curry and other spicy foods, such as myself (...and yet I love hot wings).

      I'll let the debate about alcohol's potential health benefits slide, as there have been fairly conclusive studies for both sides of the argument. Use only in moderation (Are you ready to Tanqueray?) :)

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    4. Re:More than just that... by TheDugong · · Score: 1

      Do you have a cite for this? (Not doubting you, just want to have something to convince the missus that curry is healthy :)).

    5. Re:More than just that... by teebob21 · · Score: 1

      Dang - I hit submit instead of preview.

      The "fun" I mentioned in the GP post was simply the wholesome pleasure of making a homemade natural "supplement". I was not talking about the "fun" that a few frat boys might try to have with some new crazy kind of homemade Absolut Peppar.

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    6. Re:More than just that... by teebob21 · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure what the capsaicin content of curry is, compared to a habanero, but here's two articles that provide decent sources:
      http://www.nutrasanus.com/cayenne.html
      http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070720/20chilipeppers.htm?s_cid=rss:20chilipeppers.htm

      This link gives you some sources straight from the National Institute of Health: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Capsaicin+health+benefits+study+site%3ANih.gov&btnG=Search Everything from blood pressure to osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis has been studied lately, with interesting results.

      --
      khasim (12/9/06): In a blind taste test, more people preferred Coke over the Pepsi that I had previously pissed in.
    7. Re:More than just that... by KKlaus · · Score: 1

      Kevin Trudeau?

      --
      Relax I just want some peanuts.
    8. Re:More than just that... by value_added · · Score: 1

      Do you have a cite for this? (Not doubting you, just want to have something to convince the missus that curry is healthy

      Not capsaicin, specifically, but here's a randomly selected link for the wonders of curcumin which has been all over the news in recent weeks.

    9. Re:More than just that... by Reverend528 · · Score: 1

      and you have also eliminated the side effects.

      The unpleasant side effect of chili powder comes 12 hours later.

      --
      Badass Resumes
    10. Re:More than just that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are numerous studies that show alcohol (even hard alcohol) has benefits for the heart when used in moderation. One drink a day or so seems about right.

      As for being "poison" well, maybe but there are lots of "toxins" similar to alcohol that you ingest every day and your liver filters it out.

    11. Re:More than just that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have a recipe you'd care to share? I'd really like to try that out.

    12. Re:More than just that... by RobertM1968 · · Score: 1

      Or maybe the garlic...

      --
      StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
    13. Re:More than just that... by RobertM1968 · · Score: 1

      Just look it up on Google... "capsaicin fat burning" - on the list of results, you will see all sorts of sites (medical and otherwise) that will tell you some of the many uses for capsaicin, garlic, ginger root, cinnamon and more.

      --
      StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
    14. Re:More than just that... by RobertM1968 · · Score: 1

      Actually, his method is very easy... to summarize, drop peppers in a sealable jar with 90+ proof vodka. Let sit for 4-6 months, strain the liquid into another jar/bottle (or remove the peppers). Drink the liquid as recommended - you've got weeks or months worth.

      --
      StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
    15. Re:More than just that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do the same but I dry and grind them, use 190 proof ethanol and let the alcohol evaporate:) You can then add that stuff to just about anything from coffee to ice-cream much the same way some people do with ketchup. The leftover powder is pretty bland so I throw it away.

      But then again, I've been called a chilehead..

  11. Irritating ??? by truckaxle · · Score: 1
    FTFA

    One major obstacle that must be overcome, he says, is the irritating nature of capsaicin, which causes burning sensations when one touches (not to mention eats) it.

    Irritating... If you have ever had the pleasure to demo The Source at 7.1 MScovilles "irritating" is not the adjective you first reach for.

    I have a friend who prides himself on this ability to handle heat and pain sample a bit too much one time. He became very quite but controlled although you could see his face turn red. He abruptly got up and left the room. The next when I saw him, there was no pretense, he used a few expletives but claimed that in the "after glow" phase he actually had what one might refer to as a religious experience.
    1. Re:Irritating ??? by Brickwall · · Score: 2, Funny
      The next when I saw him, there was no pretense, he used a few expletives but claimed that in the "after glow" phase he actually had what one might refer to as a religious experience.

      I saw that one! Then Homer met a talking wolf...

      --
      What was once true, is no longer so
    2. Re:Irritating ??? by SydShamino · · Score: 1

      I've had police-grade pepper spray on a chip, to win a bet. I don't think it's that hot, but it was the hottest thing I've ever eaten - and I regularly eat the hottest foods you can buy in south Texas. Fortunately I didn't have to stand next to it while it was sprayed, so none got in my nose or eyes.

      The worst part was not getting any water for about half an hour. Even after the heat fades the taste is awful.

      --
      It doesn't hurt to be nice.
    3. Re:Irritating ??? by Carbon016 · · Score: 1

      According to their website, it's 7.1 million Scovilles, which interestingly, if the *rating is correct*, is "hotter" than high-quality pepper spray. In your mouth. I'm surprised your friend could even talk.

    4. Re:Irritating ??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      It's funny because as I'm reading this article I'm using Dave's Insanity sauce on some eggs...

      Anyway I've tried the source before and it was an 'experience'. I'd consider myself a chili-head who loves to feel the pain, and god - that was something. The best way to describe it was something I muttered during my chili high. "This is so f*cking intense I can feel colors!"

      And yes, there is such a thing as a chili high which is what I believe this person is talking about. As I understand it basically your body feels that your internally bleeding and gives you a rush of endorphines. This results in a "high" that is unlike anything induced by drugs/booze I've ever felt. Though you do get 'immune' to the intensity of peppers after a while. Currently I have to use aged sauces to get a chili high, since my home made fresh sauces with habaneros don't cut it anymore, though they do taste amazing.

      Also there have been a few other research papers done on this. Most I believe have shown that while the (oil in the) pepper inflicts pain at first, it quickly overloads the nerve without doing damage to it. Basicly making you have an "out of body" experience of no pain. Essentially... Being drunk without the haze... Just my two cents from being a chili head.

      Ahh! almost forgot to add. I've been hit in the face with pepperspray, and it's not that bad after getting dave's sauce in your eye :-D Though the police don't like to see people standing after being hit with that.

    5. Re:Irritating ??? by kj_in_ottawa · · Score: 1

      Dave's insanity sauce... ahh the memmories. I used to use that as a base for the sauce I would when I fried up sausages in university. Me and one of my housemates Dave (No relation to the sauce) loved it. Everyone else in the house couldn't beleive we ate it.

    6. Re:Irritating ??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even more interestingly pepper spray is hotter because it's milder ;)

      If you had extracted capsaicin you'd know this. The "strong" stuff seems surprisingly tame compared to what it's supposed to feel like (relatively speaking; sure it burns a lot), but try putting a few drops of that to a bottle of booze - the whole thing becomes practically undrinkable.

  12. something similar by icegreentea · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I seem to recall a related treatment where capsaicin could be used as a longterm local anesthetic. The doctor would first apply a shortterm anesthetic to the area being treated, and then applying pure capsaicin. The capsaicin would cause all of the nerves in the treated area to fire off like crazy until they burned out, while the local anesthetic would keep you from actually feeling the burn. By the time the local anestehtic wore off (an hour or so???), your nerves arent sending anymore, and wont be sending for quite a while, and the capsaicin gets washed off. repeat as needed.

    1. Re:something similar by adatepej · · Score: 1
      I'm not so sure saying that saying capsaicin causes

      all of the nerves in the treated area to fire off like crazy until they burned out is really an accurate description of how capsaicin (alone) causes pain relief.
    2. Re:something similar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought high concentrations of capsaicin can cause actual physical burns to the skin (eg. blisters)?

    3. Re:something similar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They are not actual burns. They are highly irritated cells though, that may turn red and swell, similar to an allergic reaction.

  13. One person's anesthetic... by Vainglorious+Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...is another person's terrorist attack

    --
    My next sig will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush
    1. Re:One person's anesthetic... by MadMidnightBomber · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      If people can make Nam Prik Pao then the terrorists have won! Won't someone please think of the tastebuds!!?!

      --
      "It doesn't cost enough, and it makes too much sense."
  14. Ok by xx01dk · · Score: 5, Funny

    I promise I'll RTFA, but the first thought that came to mind was "Oh boy! Modern medicine can ease my pain... with FLAMING HOT NUCLEAR CODE RED WING SAUCE" followed by "GOOD LORD I'M NEVER SHITTING AGAIN."

    --
    There is simply too much glass..
    1. Re:Ok by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "I promise I'll RTFA ..."
      We don't need your kind here, sonny. Move along ...
      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    2. Re:Ok by LoveGoblin · · Score: 1

      "Oh boy! Modern medicine can ease my pain... with FLAMING HOT NUCLEAR CODE RED WING SAUCE" followed by "GOOD LORD I'M NEVER SHITTING AGAIN."

      Followed closely again by "OH FUCK I'M SHITTING AGAIN."

    3. Re:Ok by xx01dk · · Score: 1

      What's this "digg" you speak of?

      Ignore the goatse.cz. It's not there, honest.

      --
      There is simply too much glass..
    4. Re:Ok by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "What's this "digg" you speak of?

      Ignore the goatse.cz. It's not there, honest.
      In Soviet Russia, Goatse Diggs you!
      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  15. Capsaicin is used in arthritis creams by ragingmime · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...such as Zostrix and Dolorac (more info here). It's also an ingredient in Icy Hot and other meds, apparently.

    Sensations of affective (dull) pain and heat are transferred along the same nerves, which is part of the reason why this chemical can help modulate signals there.

    --
    I produce electronic music and write little games. Have a look.
    1. Re:Capsaicin is used in arthritis creams by adatepej · · Score: 1

      It really does work by the mechanism I proposed after those OTC capsaicin and menthol patches gave me a terrible burning feeling on my back! It just hurts so bad that you forget about any other pain you had.

      So, the actions of capsaicin that cause pain relief when used alone and which allow that other drug to get into a cell and cause pain relief are "unrelated"?

  16. Nanobots by DavidV · · Score: 1

    I'm picturing an army of nanobots, some clearing a path for others, some carrying the payload of capsaicin, others doing the work once the payload is at the target. Controlled by RTS AI.

    --
    !sig
    1. Re:Nanobots by Carbon016 · · Score: 1

      RTS AI? You'd have to send them to Hard, or they'd probably just stick around floating around in the heart making diplomacy treaties with one another.

    2. Re:Nanobots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Huh, and here I thought they might send loads of trebuchets to the prostrate to pelt it to death with tiny kidney stones.

  17. And Don't Forget... by FranTaylor · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wash your hands BEFORE you go to the bathroom.

    1. Re:And Don't Forget... by Greyfox · · Score: 1

      Or put in contacts. I learned very quickly to wear latex gloves when making my green chili (On my web page, by the way.) And that stuff is very sticky, molecularly speaking, so washing may not be enough to prevent problems when putting contacts in.

      --

      I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    2. Re:And Don't Forget... by vorpal22 · · Score: 1

      That's a mistake most people make only once. In my case, three times, really, but NEVER again.

    3. Re:And Don't Forget... by moonbender · · Score: 1

      It's not easily soluble in water. Try washing your hands with vegetable oil or something... That's also why drinking water does nothing to alleviate the burning sensation - and why drinking milk does help a bit!

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    4. Re:And Don't Forget... by domatic · · Score: 1

      Otherwise you'll have a Hunka Burnin' Love!

    5. Re:And Don't Forget... by Bourbon+Man · · Score: 1

      The bathroom is nothing....wash them hands before SEX!

      My personal experience from dicing up some jalapeños for salsa shows that enough capsaicin can cling to skin through at least one hand-washing to make for some rather "hot" sex a few hours later. I thought it was kinda fun, but my wife was less than thrilled, female equipment being a little more susceptible to such things.

    6. Re:And Don't Forget... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And don't pick your nose!

    7. Re:And Don't Forget... by xappax · · Score: 1

      There's actually a technique for this, called MOFIBA: Mineral Oil Followed Immediately By Alcohol. Basically, rub oil over your hands like you suggested, and then wipe them off thoroughly with rubbing alcohol (or vodka i guess). The most important part of this operation is to be extremely, EXTREMELY thorough with the alcohol wipe-down. Otherwise the oil will trap the capsaicin right against your skin (or contact) and cause even more pain, since it won't be able to be flushed out with watery tears or sweat.

  18. References? by doraemonkey · · Score: 1

    Yarg! Does any one have a link to the actual Nature article that they are referencing to? Would it be too hard to put a direct reference to the article? A search for David Julius on Nature.com gives a result on a May article http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7150/abs/nature05910.html ... not the one that SciAm is referencing

  19. Re-inventing the wheel ? by Ihlosi · · Score: 2, Informative

    The combination of capsaicin and a mild topical analgesic (menthol) has been on store shelves for decades, for example under the name of IcyHot.

  20. my first thought... by Tastecicles · · Score: 1

    great news for dental patients!

    --
    Operation Guillotine is in effect.
  21. News? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I really don't see how this is news, we've been making spicy cocktails for 68 years...

  22. This sounds painful but.... by domatic · · Score: 1

    I've also used juice from hot peppers to clear up persistent sores on my skin. Yeah, it burns like hell going on but damn if it doesn't clear up what is disfiguring you.

  23. Stupid Human Trick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I get migraines. They not only hurt, and interfere with vision and muscle co-ordination, they also impede communication and clear thinking. Doing the simplest problem-solving is much much harder when fighting a migraine, so people often do things they would not consider doing if they were thinking normally.

    I saw a TV program that was touting some compound found in cayenne peppers for treating migraines. The participants in the trial were snorting the compound to get rapid blood transport to the brain. Shortly after viewing this program, I got a crippling migraine... and discovered I'd left my medications at the office.

    DO NOT SNORT CAYENNE PEPPER. Trust me on this one. It won't make a migraine go away (although it will make you forget about the migraine for a little while, at least until the screaming stops).

  24. Cell WALLS? No. by DragonWriter · · Score: 1

    It's no secret what capsaicin, the fiery molecule of peppers, does to cell walls.


    Actually, relevant to TFA, "cell membranes", not "cell walls". Any effect they have on cell walls (which are found in plants, but not, e.g., humans) would be pretty irrelevant to their utility in moving anesthetics into cells.
  25. Is it just me... by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

    ...or does "plasma membrane" sound like Trek technobabble?

    "The plasma membrane's become completely unstable, Captain! If we don't shut down the engines, they'll blow the ship apart!"

    Chris Mattern

  26. Dangerous Foods on Fresh Air by switcha · · Score: 1
    Terry Gross had a foodie on last night who wrote a book about eating dangerously.

    They have a short discussion about peppers starting about 9:15 in.

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14948199

    --
    You know what? ... A little club soda *did* get that out!
  27. Capsaicin active ingredient in new muscle creams by alone+in+SF · · Score: 1

    Not to sound like an advertisement, but a girl I work out with works for a media company that did the ads for the muscle pain cream Biosoothe (think Icy Hot, but not smelly). Biosoothe's active ingredient is capsaicin. I'm anticipating a shift in a lot of the muscle creams if this is the new trend. It works surprisingly well, and has some recurring effects apparently because of the way capsaicin hangs around in your tissue. (Ex. next day the area that was applied with the cream starts to get that soothing/cooling feeling from the muscle use activating the cap. again).

  28. Capsicun by Leibel · · Score: 1

    Australians virtually always mispronounce it "capsicun", although they are rarely aware of it.

    I think that's very true for the broad Australian dialect, but not for the majority of Australians... just the ones that sound really Australian.