title: Degeneration of infrared receptor terminals of snakes caused by capsaicin.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, 207 Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. terasima@med-u.ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002211:Capsaicin