Degeneration of infrared receptor terminals of snakes caused by capsaicin.
Capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient in hot peppers (genus Capsicum), caused degeneration of the infrared receptor terminals in infrared sensitive snakes, Trimeresurus flavoviridis, when it was applied perineurally to a branch of the trigeminal nerve. The degeneration of the terminals was found 6 h after the application. This finding suggests that capsaicin stimulates this infrared receptor terminal, a kind of warm receptor terminal.
Terashima
Shin-ichi
S
Department of Physiology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, 207 Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. terasima@med-u.ryukyu.ac.jp
Ogawa
Koichi
K
D000818:Animals; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013823:Thermoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017841:Trimeresurus
D002211:Capsaicin