TY - JOUR
T1 - Capsaicin blocks tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium potentials and calcium potentials in unmyelinated C fibres of biopsied human sural nerve in vitro
AU - Großkreutz, J.
AU - Quasthoff, S.
AU - Kühn, M.
AU - Grafe, P.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants given by the Wilhelm Sander Stiftung (J.G., S.Q., M.K.) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 220/TP B 1, P.G.).
PY - 1996/4/12
Y1 - 1996/4/12
N2 - Topical application of capsaicin has been tested recently for treatment of painful peripheral neuropathy. In the present study, effects of capsaicin were explored on compound action potentials of isolated fascicles from human sural nerve biopsies. Capsaicin reduced the C fibre component by 30-60%; the remaining C fibres were not sensitive to the drug. A good correlation was found between the sensitivity of C fibres to capsaicin and their resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX), i.e. C fibre action potentials recorded in the presence of TTX were completely blocked by capsaicin. Calcium action potentials seen after inhibition of axonal potassium conductances were also completely suppressed. The data indicate that application of capsaicin nearby human peripheral nerves might prevent action potential conduction in specific subtypes of C fibres.
AB - Topical application of capsaicin has been tested recently for treatment of painful peripheral neuropathy. In the present study, effects of capsaicin were explored on compound action potentials of isolated fascicles from human sural nerve biopsies. Capsaicin reduced the C fibre component by 30-60%; the remaining C fibres were not sensitive to the drug. A good correlation was found between the sensitivity of C fibres to capsaicin and their resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX), i.e. C fibre action potentials recorded in the presence of TTX were completely blocked by capsaicin. Calcium action potentials seen after inhibition of axonal potassium conductances were also completely suppressed. The data indicate that application of capsaicin nearby human peripheral nerves might prevent action potential conduction in specific subtypes of C fibres.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0343371819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0304-3940(96)12536-2
DO - 10.1016/0304-3940(96)12536-2
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 8731172
AN - SCOPUS:0343371819
SN - 0304-3940
VL - 208
SP - 49
EP - 52
JO - Neuroscience Letters
JF - Neuroscience Letters
IS - 1
ER -
