A tarantula peptide against pain via ASIC1a channels and opioid mechanisms.

Abstract	Psalmotoxin 1, a peptide extracted from the South American tarantula Psalmopoeus cambridgei, has very potent analgesic properties against thermal, mechanical, chemical, inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rodents. It exerts its action by blocking acid-sensing ion channel 1a, and this blockade results in an activation of the endogenous enkephalin pathway. The analgesic properties of the peptide are suppressed by antagonists of the mu and delta-opioid receptors and are lost in Penk1-/- mice.
Authors	Michel Mazzuca, Catherine Heurteaux, Abdelkrim Alloui, Sylvie Diochot, Anne Baron, Nicolas Voilley, Nicolas Blondeau, Pierre Escoubas, Agnès Gélot, Anny Cupo, Andreas Zimmer, Anne M Zimmer, Alain Eschalier, Michel Lazdunski
Journal	Nature neuroscience (Nat Neurosci) Vol. 10 Issue 8 Pg. 943-5 (Aug 2007) ISSN: 1097-6256 [Print] United States
PMID	17632507 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References	ASIC1 protein, mouse Acid Sensing Ion Channels Analgesics Enkephalins Membrane Proteins Narcotic Antagonists Nerve Tissue Proteins PcTX1 protein, Psalmopoeus cambridgei Peptides Protein Precursors Sodium Channels Spider Venoms Naloxone Naltrexone Morphine preproenkephalin
Topics	Acid Sensing Ion Channels Analgesics (therapeutic use) Animals Area Under Curve Behavior, Animal Disease Models, Animal Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Enkephalins (deficiency, physiology) Membrane Proteins (deficiency, physiology) Mice Mice, Knockout Morphine (administration & dosage) Naloxone (administration & dosage) Naltrexone (administration & dosage) Narcotic Antagonists (administration & dosage) Nerve Tissue Proteins (deficiency, physiology) Neurons (drug effects, physiology) Pain (drug therapy) Pain Measurement (methods) Peptides Protein Precursors (deficiency) Reaction Time (drug effects) Sodium Channels (deficiency, physiology) Spider Venoms (therapeutic use) Spinal Cord (pathology) Time Factors

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.

Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!