Resiniferatoxin
Encyclopedia
Resiniferatoxin is a naturally occurring, ultrapotent capsaicin
analog that activates the vanilloid receptor in a subpopulation of primary afferent sensory neurons
involved in nociception
(the transmission of physiological pain). RTX causes an ion channel in the plasma membrane of sensory neurons — the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1
— to become permeable to cations, most particularly the calcium
cation; this evokes a powerful irritant effect followed by desensitization and analgesia.
Research is being conducted at the National Institutes of Health
and the University of Pennsylvania
to design a novel class of analgesics from the latex of resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera
), a cactus-like plant commonly found in Morocco that contains high concentrations of RTX.
of (+)-resiniferatoxin was completed by the Wender group at Stanford University
in 1997. this represented the only complete total synthesis of any member of the daphnane family of molecules.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...
analog that activates the vanilloid receptor in a subpopulation of primary afferent sensory neurons
Afferent nerve
In the nervous system, afferent neurons , carry nerve impulses from receptors or sense organs towards the central nervous system. This term can also be used to describe relative connections between structures. Afferent neurons communicate with specialized interneurons...
involved in nociception
Nociception
Nociception is defined as "the neural processes of encoding and processing noxious stimuli." It is the afferent activity produced in the peripheral and central nervous system by stimuli that have the potential to damage tissue...
(the transmission of physiological pain). RTX causes an ion channel in the plasma membrane of sensory neurons — the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1
TRPV1
The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 ', also known as the capsaicin receptor and the vanilloid receptor 1, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the TRPV1 gene...
— to become permeable to cations, most particularly the calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
cation; this evokes a powerful irritant effect followed by desensitization and analgesia.
Research is being conducted at the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
to design a novel class of analgesics from the latex of resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera
Euphorbia resinifera
Euphorbia resinifera is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains.-Growth:It is a shrub growing to 60 cm tall, forming multi-stemmed cushion-shaped clumps up to 2 m wide...
), a cactus-like plant commonly found in Morocco that contains high concentrations of RTX.
Total synthesis
A total synthesisTotal synthesis
In organic chemistry, a total synthesis is, in principle, the complete chemical synthesis of complex organic molecules from simpler pieces, usually without the aid of biological processes. In practice, these simpler pieces are commercially available in bulk and semi-bulk quantities, and are often...
of (+)-resiniferatoxin was completed by the Wender group at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1997. this represented the only complete total synthesis of any member of the daphnane family of molecules.
Toxicity
Resiniferatoxin is toxic and can produce chemical burns. Animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 40 g may be fatal or cause serious damage to health.See also
- CapsaicinCapsaicinCapsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...
- Discovery and development of TRPV1 antagonistsDiscovery and development of TRPV1 antagonistsChronic pain remains a recognized unmet medical need. Consequently, the search for new analgesic agents is being intensively studied by the pharmaceutical industry. The TRPV1 receptor is an ion channel that has been implicated in mediation of many types of pain and therefore studied most extensively...
- IodoresiniferatoxinIodoresiniferatoxinIodoresiniferatoxin is a strong competitive antagonist of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 receptor. I-RTX is derived from resiniferatoxin .-Etymology:...
- Transient receptor potentialTransient receptor potentialTransient receptor potential channels are a group of ion channels located mostly on the plasma membrane of numerous human and animal cell types. There are about 28 TRP channels that share some structural similarity to each other...
- TinyatoxinTinyatoxinTinyatoxin is a highly irritable analog of resiniferatoxin and capsaicin. It is a neurotoxin and acts via vanilloid receptors of sensory nerves. Tinyatoxin has a potential for pharmaceutical uses similar to uses of capsaicin. Tinyatoxin is about three times weaker than resiniferatoxin....