David S. Huen
smh1008 at cus.cam.ac.uk
Wed Nov 9 03:59:34 EST 1994
In article <39p6so$3co at steele.ohsu.edu>, nishir at ohsu.edu (Rae Nishi) wrote:
> Hope you can stand one more comment on this topic. There are specific
> receptors for capasicin on sensory neurons and they appear to be on the
> ones that contain substance P and sense slow pain. Application of
> capsaicin causes depolarization of the sensory neuron by opening a
> channels in the membrane. Eating lots of capsaicin destroys the fibers
> (probably by an excitotoxic mechanism). That's why those who eat alot
> of chillies are less sensitive to the pain. In newborn rats injection
> of capscaicin causes death of these sensory neurons.
I might well be mistaken but I thought that capsaicin activated the same
class of protein kinase Cs as resiniferatoxin (a phorbol ester) ?
On another note, being a hot food junkie, what is a habanero and where in
the scale do those tiny little Thai chillies fit?
David S. Huen Phone: (0223) 333921
CRC Human Cancer Genetics Group Fax: (0223) 333875
Dept. of Pathology e-mail: smh1008 at cus.cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge
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