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Query: UMLS:C0030193 (pain)
 261,466 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Resiniferatoxin is an extremely irritant diterpene present in the latex of several members of the genus Euphorbia. Its mechanism of action has been shown to be clearly distinct from that of the structurally related phorbol esters. Since resiniferatoxin possesses a 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl substituent, a key feature of capsaicin, the major pungent ingredient of plants of the genus Capsicum, we examined the ability of resiniferatoxin to induce typical capsaicin responses. We report here that treatment of rats with resiniferatoxin, like treatment with capsaicin, caused hypothermia, neurogenic inflammation, and pain. These responses were followed by loss of thermoregulation, by desensitization to neurogenic inflammation, and by chemical and thermal analgesia, with cross-tolerance between resiniferatoxin and capsaicin. Resiniferatoxin was 3 4 orders of magnitude more potent than capsaicin for the effects on thermoregulation and neurogenic inflammation. Resiniferatoxin was only comparable in potency to capsaicin, however, in the assay for induction of acute pain, and the desensitization to acute pain appeared to require less resiniferatoxin than did desensitization for the other responses. We conclude that resiniferatoxin acts as an ultrapotent capsaicin analog and hypothesize that it may distinguish between subclasses of capsaicin response.
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PMID:Resiniferatoxin, a phorbol-related diterpene, acts as an ultrapotent analog of capsaicin, the irritant constituent in red pepper. 274 24

In New Mexico, chile peppers (Capsicum annum) are prepared by roasting and manually removing the skin from the fruit. Peeling is often done barehanded and may cause prolonged burning pain, irritation, and erythema but not vesication. In a survey of elderly Hispanic women, treatment with oils or cool tap water were frequently used home remedies. Twenty female subjects immersed their hands in a standardized slurry of green chile for 40 minutes, afterwards one hand was placed in cool tap water and the other in vegetable oil for a total of 75 minutes. Pain was scored using a visual analog scale while the hands were immersed in the chile slurry, test baths, and after drying. The difference in pain score was calculated for each subject. Analysis was by pooled regression. Cool tap water immersion initially provided more relief while vegetable oil provided better long-term relief from the pain of "chile burns".
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PMID:Household treatment for "chile burns" of the hands. 344 Oct 15

Effects of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, which are pungent substances contained in Capsicum annuum L., were studied in 32 gallamine triethiodide immobilized cats. Single units were recorded from the medial thalamus using stainless steel microelectrodes. Of the 56 neurons recorded, 28 were responsive to both noxious (pinching) and non-noxious (hair and/or tapping) stimuli, while 16 were activated only by non-noxious stimuli. The remaining 12 neurons did not respond to any natural stimulus. Somatic receptive fields of nociceptive and non-nociceptive neurons were found to be widely distributed over the whole body. Twenty-six of 28 nociceptive neurons were activated by an intra-arterial administration of bradykinin, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. Fourteen of 16 non-nociceptive neurons were not activated by these substances. The mean latency and duration of bradykinin were 8.7 and 12.5 sec, those of capsaicin were 1.2 and 6.1 sec and those of dihydrocapsaicin were 1.3 and 5.0 sec, respectively. The increase of firing frequency produced by capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin was inhibited by morphine and this inhibition was antagonized by naloxone. However, the activity of medial thalamic neurons with non-noxious stimuli was not affected by these drugs. These results suggest that the pain-conducting fibers were selectively activated by capsaicinoids as well as by bradykinin.
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PMID:Excitatory effects of dihydrocapsaicin on nociceptive neurons in the medial thalamus. 719 58

Within a prospective group study of five practicing otorhinolaryngologists, conventional therapy of acute otitis media in children was compared with homeopathic treatments. Group A (103 children) was primarily treated with homeopathic single remedies (Aconitum napellus, Apis mellifica, Belladonna, Capsicum, Chamomilla, Kalium bichromicum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Mercurius solubilis, Okoubaka, Pulsatilla, Silicea). Group B (28 children) was treated by decongestant nose-drops, antibiotics, secretolytics and/or antipyretics. Comparisons were done by symptoms, physical findings, duration of therapy and number of relapses. The children of the study were between 1 and 11 years of age. The difference in numbers was explained by the children with otitis media being primarily treated by pediatricians using conventional methods. The median duration of pain in group A was 2 days and in group B 3 days. Median therapy in group A lasted 4 days and in group B 10 days. Antibiotics were given over a period of 8-10 days, while homeopathic treatments were stopped after healing. In group A 70.7% of the patients were free of relapses within 1 years and 29.3% had a maximum of three relapses. Group B had 56.5% without relapses and 43.5% a maximum of six relapses. Five children in group A were given antibiotics and 98 responded solely to homeopathic treatments. No side effects of treatment were found in either group.
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PMID:[Acute otitis media in children. Comparison between conventional and homeopathic therapy]. 880 13

In a prospective observational study carried out by 1 homoeopathic and 4 conventional ENT practitioners, the 2 methods of treating acute pediatric otitis media were compared. Group A received treatment with homoeopathic single remedies (Aconitum napellus, Apis mellifica, Belladonna, Capsicum, Chamomilla, Kalium bichromicum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Mercurius solubilis, Okoubaka, Pulsatilla, Silicea), whereas group B received nasal drops, antibiotics, secretolytics and/or antipyretics. The main outcome measures were duration of pain, duration of fever, and the number of recurrences after 1 year, whereby alpha < 0.05 was taken as significance level. The secondary measures were improvement after 3 hours, results of audiometry and tympanometry, and necessity for additional therapy. These parameters were only considered descriptively. The study involved 103 children in group A and 28 children in group B, aged between 6 months and 11 years in both groups. For duration of pain, the median was 2 days in group A and 3 days in group B. For duration of therapy, the median was 4 days in group A and 10 days in group B: this is due to the fact that antibiotics are usually administered over a period of 8-10 days, whereas homoeopathics can be discontinued at an earlier stage once healing has started. Of the children treated, 70.7% were free of recurrence within a year in group A and 29.3% were found to have a maximum of 3 recurrences. In group B, 56.5% were free of recurrence, and 43.5% had a maximum of 6 recurrences. Out of the 103 children in group A, 5 subsequently received antibiotics, though homoeopathic treatment was carried through to the healing stage in the remaining 98. No permanent sequels were observed in either group.
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PMID:The homoeopathic treatment of otitis media in children--comparisons with conventional therapy. 924 43

Capsaicin, a natural product of Capsicum species, induces excitation of pain perception at nociceptive terminals. Our previous studies have shown that capsaicin inhibits protein synthesis in cultured monkey kidneys cells (Vero cells) and in primoculture of rat astrocytes. We have now investigated the effect of capsaicin on human neuroblastoma cells SHSY-5Y. The cytotoxicity has been assessed by incorporation of [(3)H]L-leucine into cellular protein in the presence of capsaicin and the genotoxicity has been evaluated using the comet assay and the fragmentation assay after incubation of neuroblastoma cells with 25-100 microM capsaicin. The concentration required to inhibit 50% of the protein synthesis (IC(50)) was found to be 60 microM after incubation with the toxin during one cellular cycle (5 days) of SHSY-5Y. The results of the comet test and DNA fragmentation assay clearly suggest that capsaicin is able to induce DNA strand breaks already with concentrations in the range of 50 microM, corresponding to 29.3 microM of capsaicin not bound to alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Several daily topical applications of preparations containing 0.075% of capsaicin could lead to blood capsaicin concentration of this order of magnitude following transdermal passage (5% of the total quantity applied). Because DNA strand breaks or DNA lesions may affect cellular functions, lead to cell death and/or mutagenesis, our data in case of inappropriate DNA repair may have important implications for the possible health threats of capsaicin, specially in the case of misuse of capsaicin preparations in pathological situations.
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PMID:Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of capsaicin in human neuroblastoma cells SHSY-5Y. 1055 Apr 83

Capsaicin, a natural product of Capsicum species is known to induce excitation of nociceptive terminals involved in pain perception. Nevertheless, it is utilized by topical application in humans, giving rise to blood capsaicin concentration up to 10-20 microM. The effect of capsaicin on human endothelial cells ECV 304 has been investigated. The cytotoxicity and inflammatory properties of capsaicin were evaluated by measuring the capsaicin-stimulated release of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 levels (sICAM-1) into the culture medium; production of reactive oxygen species measured by quantification of lipoperoxidation in endothelial cell membranes; and genotoxicity measured using the comet assay and the DNA fragmentation assay. The concentration inhibiting protein synthesis by 50% after 24-h incubation was found to be 175 microM. Capsaicin induced an increase of sICAM-1 release into the culture medium at concentration >/=100 microM. Lipoperoxidation measured by malondialdehyde production increased at capsaicin concentration >/=200 microM. The comet test and DNA fragmentation assay clearly suggested that capsaicin does not induce significant DNA strand breaks within the range of concentrations used. Because the inflammatory reaction and lipid peroxidation may affect cellular functions and lead to cell death, the present data may have important implications for the possible health threats of capsaicin, specially in the case of unreasonable use of capsaicin preparations in pathological situations.
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PMID:Implications of oxidative stress and inflammatory process in the cytotoxicity of capsaicin in human endothelial cells: lack of DNA strand breakage. 1083 31

Despite the progress that has occurred in recent years in the development of therapy, there is still a need for effective and potent analgesics, especially for the treatment of chronic pain. One of the most important analgesic drugs employed in clinical practice today continues to be the alkaloid morphine. In this review, emphasis will be given to the important contribution and the history of Papaver somniferum, Salix species, Capsicum species and Cannabis sativa in the development of new analgesics and their importance in the understanding of the complex pathways related to electrophysiological and molecular mechanisms associated with pain transmission. Recently discovered antinociceptive substances include alkaloids, terpenoids and flavonoid. Plant-derived substances have, and will certainly continue to have, a relevant place in the process of drug discovery, particularly in the development of new analgesic drugs.
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PMID:Naturally occurring antinociceptive substances from plants. 1096 Aug 93

Acute low back pain is a very common condition in Western industrialised countries. In most cases analgesics or topical medications are prescribed at first encounter with the general practitioner (GP). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the homeopathic gel Spiroflor SRL gel (SRL) is equally effective and better tolerated than Cremor Capsici Compositus FNA (CCC) in patients with acute low back pain. A multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted in the practices of 19 GPs in the districts of Bristol and Manchester, UK. One hundred and sixty-one subjects suffering from acute low back pain were treated for one week either with SRL or with CCC. Pain was scored on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Main efficacy parameter VAS reduction was compared between treatments. Evaluation of safety was primarily based on the number of subjects with adverse events (AEs), withdrawals due to an AE and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The mean difference between the VAS reduction in the SRL group and the CCC group adjusted for VAS at baseline and age was -0.6mm (90% CI = -6.5-5.3mm). Fewer subjects in the SRL group (11%) experienced an AE than in the CCC group (26%). The same applies to the number of subjects with an ADR (3/81 = 4% vs 18/74 = 24%) and the number of subjects withdrawn due to an ADR (0/81 = 0% vs 8/74 = 11%). In conclusion, SRL and CCC are equally effective in the treatment of acute low back pain, however, SRL has a better safety profile. Spiroflor SRL gel is preferable to Capsicum-based products for the topical treatment of low back pain, because of the lower risk of adverse effects.
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PMID:The efficacy and safety of a homeopathic gel in the treatment of acute low back pain: a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind comparative clinical trial. 1121 85

TRPV1 ion channels mediate the response to painful heat, extracellular acidosis, and capsaicin, the pungent extract from plants in the Capsicum family (hot chili peppers) (Szallasi, A., and P.M. Blumberg. 1999. Pharmacol. Rev. 51:159-212; Caterina, M.J., and D. Julius. 2001. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 24:487-517). The convergence of these stimuli on TRPV1 channels expressed in peripheral sensory nerves underlies the common perceptual experience of pain due to hot temperatures, tissue damage and exposure to capsaicin. TRPV1 channels are nonselective cation channels (Caterina, M.J., M.A. Schumacher, M. Tominaga, T.A. Rosen, J.D. Levine, and D. Julius. 1997. Nature. 389:816-824). When activated, they produce depolarization through the influx of Na+, but their high Ca2+ permeability is also important for mediating the response to pain. In particular, Ca2+ influx is thought to be required for the desensitization to painful sensations over time (Cholewinski, A., G.M. Burgess, and S. Bevan. 1993. Neuroscience. 55:1015-1023; Koplas, P.A., R.L. Rosenberg, and G.S. Oxford. 1997. J. Neurosci. 17:3525-3537). Here we show that in inside-out excised patches from TRPV1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HEK 293 cells, Ca2+/calmodulin decreased the capsaicin-activated current. This inhibition was not mimicked by Mg2+, reflected a decrease in open probability, and was slowly reversible. Furthermore, increasing the calmodulin concentration in our patches by coexpression of wild-type calmodulin with TRPV1 produced inhibition by Ca2+ alone. In contrast, patches excised from cells coexpressing TRPV1 with a mutant calmodulin did not respond to Ca2+. Using an in vitro calmodulin-binding assay, we found that TRPV1 in oocyte lysates bound calmodulin, although in a Ca2+-independent manner. Experiments with GST-fusion proteins corresponding to regions of the channel NH2-terminal domain demonstrated that a stretch of approximately 30 amino acids adjacent to the first ankyrin repeat bound calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The physiological response to pain involves an influx of Ca2+ through TRPV1. Our results indicate that this Ca2+ influx may feed back on the channels, inhibiting their gating. This type of feedback inhibition could play a role in the desensitization produced by capsaicin.
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PMID:Ca2+/calmodulin modulates TRPV1 activation by capsaicin. 1469 77


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