Actions of Vanilloids in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/159401

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Capsaicin, the active ingredient of hot chillies, and other pungent plant extracts have been used for millennia to relieve minor pain. We now know that these agents produce pain relief (analgesia) by numbing the very nerve cells (neurons) which transmit pain signals to the brain. The unique analgesic properties of vanilloids may have a place in modern medicine, giving relief to sufferers of certain types of chronic pain (e.g., neuropathic pain) which are not responsive to morphine-like analgesics. Indeed, the promise of more potent and less pungent vanilloid analgesics has led to the discovery of numerous naturally-occurring and synthetic vanilloids. However, although the neurons which convey information regarding blood pressure and the oxygen content of arterial blood to control centres in the brain stem are also stimulated by vanilloids, the central (brain stem) actions of vanilloids on blood pressure and respiration have not been investigated in detail. Thus, the aim of this project is to describe the characteristics of vanilloid receptors in the brain stem, determine the acute and chronic effects of naturally-occurring and synthetic vanilloids on blood pressure and respiration, and elucidate the role played by other neurotransmitter chemicals in the actions of vanilloids. The results of these studies will have major implications in the future use of vanilloids as analgesics.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2001

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $196,527.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical biochemistry - carbohydrates

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Apnoea and dyspnoea | Cardiovascular and respiratory disease | Chronic pain and analgesia | Immunocytochemistry | Microinjection | Nucleus of the solitary tract | Respiratory and cardiovascular control | Vanilloids (capsaicin-like compounds)

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