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Related Concept Videos

Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Patch Clamp Recordings on Intact Dorsal Root Ganglia from Adult Rats
12:00

Patch Clamp Recordings on Intact Dorsal Root Ganglia from Adult Rats

Published on: September 29, 2016

Sodium channels and pain therapy.

M S Gold1

  • 1University of Maryland, Baltimore Dental School, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biological Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. msg001@dental.umaryland.edu

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
|October 4, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are key targets for pain treatment. Research shows injury alters these channels in nerve cells, contributing to pain. Understanding these changes may lead to new pain therapies.

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Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat
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Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat

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Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Patch Clamp Recordings on Intact Dorsal Root Ganglia from Adult Rats
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Published on: September 29, 2016

Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat
08:05

Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat

Published on: November 21, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Tissue injury triggers nervous system changes relevant to pain.
  • Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are implicated in pain, as channel blockers show clinical efficacy.
  • Altered VGSC expression, distribution, and biophysical properties in neurons after injury suggest their role in pain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize nervous system changes post-tissue injury.
  • To identify novel therapeutic targets for pain treatment.
  • To investigate the role of specific voltage-gated sodium channels in pain.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of nervous system changes in response to tissue injury.
  • Analysis of biophysical properties, expression, and distribution of VGSCs.
  • Examination of injury-induced alterations in neuronal subpopulations.

Main Results:

  • Four unique VGSCs exhibit injury-induced changes.
  • These altered VGSCs are found in primary afferent and central nervous system neurons.
  • Each VGSC subtype contributes differently to pain depending on the injury type.

Conclusions:

  • VGSCs are crucial targets for novel pain therapeutics.
  • Specific VGSC alterations following injury are linked to pain generation and maintenance.
  • Targeting distinct VGSCs may offer tailored pain management strategies for different injuries.