A mechanism
regulating our sensation of cold has been identified.
Research
groups at the University of Cambridge and the Instituto de Neurociencias, in
Spain, have discovered a new and unexpected mechanism by which cold sensation
is regulated, and opens up the possibility of developing drugs to mimic the
well-known analgesic effects of cold and menthol.
The
sensation of coolness is essential for our everyday life. Although extreme cold
causes pain, moderate cooling inhibits pain, such as holding a burned hand
under a cold tap. Another way to produce a sensation of coolness, and therefore
to relieve pain, is to apply menthol, a compound present naturally in mint and
widely used in peppermints, mentholated cigarettes and in pain-relieving rubs.
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