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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."

6 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. 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.

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    1. 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.

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    2. 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

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

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  4. 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."

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