It takes 2: Double detection key for sensing muscle pain

Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 05:40 in Biology & Nature

When cardiac or skeletal muscle is not receiving enough oxygen to meet metabolic demands, a person will experience pain, such as angina, chest pain during a heart attack, or leg pain during a vigourous sprint. This type of pain is called 'ischaemic' pain and is sensed in the body by receptors on sensory neurones. It has been suggested that lactic acid, which increases during muscle exertion under conditions where oxygen is low, is a potential mediator of ischaemic pain via action at acid sensing channel 3 (ASIC3). However, the acid signal it generates is quite subtle and is unlikely to act alone...

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