title: Mechanism of pain relief by low-power infrared irradiation: ATP is an IR-target molecule in nociceptive neurons.
abstract: Effects of infrared (IR) radiation generated by a low-power CO2-laser on the membrane of cultured dissociated nociceptive neurons of newborn rat spinal ganglia were investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp method. Low-power IR radiation diminished the voltage sensitivity of activation gating machinery of slow sodium channels (Na(v)1.8). Ouabain known to block both transducer and pumping functions of Na+,K+-ATPase eliminated IR irradiation effects. The molecular mechanism of interaction of CO2-laser radiation with sensory membrane was proposed. The primary event of this interaction is the process of energy absorption by ATP molecules. The transfer of vibrational energy from Na+,K+- ATPase-bound and vibrationally excited ATP molecules to Na+,K+-ATPase activates this enzyme and converts it into a signal transducer. This effect leads to a decrease in the voltage sensitivity of Na(v)1.8 channels. The effect of IR-radiation was elucidated by the combined application of a very sensitive patch-clamp method and an optical facility with a controlled CO2-laser. As a result, the mechanism of interaction of non-thermal low-power IR radiation with the nociceptive neuron membrane is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Pavlov Institute of Physiology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Igor L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Yachnev
authors.forename: Vera B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Plakhova
authors.forename: Svetlana A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Podzorova
authors.forename: Tatiana N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Shelykh
authors.forename: Ilya V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Rogachevsky
authors.forename: Boris V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Krylov
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D007259:Infrared Rays; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010146:Pain / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate