A scientific journal reports: "Tiny naked mole-rats do not produce a body chemical called Substance P, which is released by pain fibres that send signals to the central nervous system in mammals as an when they make contact with things that cause long-lasting, achy pain. This finding is important as it may one day lead to the development of new analgesic drugs for people with chronic pain who do not respond well to current medication. The research group restored Substance P and the naked mole-rats’ ability to sense the burning sensation, which is felt by other mammals upon being subjected to capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli peppers."
Well, I am not sure what the ethics are subjecting these adorable creatures to chilli peppers - here is a video from the BBC about naked mole rats (they are awesome!):
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
Naked Mole Rats!
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1 comments:
They sure are fascinating...I read that they are not really rats but are related to the porcupine.
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