Snake Infrared Receptors Respond to Dimethylsulfoxide in the Blood Stream

Moon, Changjong; Terashima, Shin-Ichi; Yasuzumi, Fumioki; Shin, Taekyun

doi:10.1007/s10571-004-6916-9

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Moon and coworkers [33, 34] have suggested that it is the blood vessels themselves that are directly sensing the infrared radiation and responding accordingly. Our present work shows that this position is untenable, because degeneration of the TNMs caused by severing the pit nerves (Figure 6) abolished blood flow response to the laser (Figure 5D, F), although normal blood flow was uninterrupted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood Flow in Snake Infrared Organs: Response‐Induced Changes in Individual Vessels

et al. 2007

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The authors conclude that the receptors themselves are directly and locally controlling the smooth muscle elements of the blood vessels, in response to heating of the receptors by infrared radiation. They speculate that the heavy vascularization constitutes a cooling system for the radiation-encoding receptors, and further that the agent of control may be a volatile neuromediator such as nitric oxide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood Flow in Snake Infrared Organs: Response‐Induced Changes in Individual Vessels

et al. 2007

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“…Immediately following the blood draw, the snake was administered a mass-adjusted intraperitoneal injection (delivered to the posterior region of the peritoneal cavity) of 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; Fisher Scientific, Inc.) and then returned to its cage. DMSO served as the solvent for subsequent BD and CD doses and therefore represented the control challenge (Moon et al, 2004;Santos et al, 2003). Following the injection, the snakes were observed visually for 90 minutes, for signs of a behavioral response.…”

Section: Toxin Challenges: Hormonal Responses To Bufadienolide and Camentioning

confidence: 99%

Corticosteroid responses of snakes to toxins from toads (bufadienolides) and plants (cardenolides) reflect differences in dietary specializations

Mohammadi

French

Neuman‐Lee

et al. 2017

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Toads are chemically defended by cardiotonic steroids known as bufadienolides. Resistance to the acute effects of bufadienolides in snakes that prey on toads is conferred by target-site insensitivity of the toxin's target enzyme, the Na/K-ATPase. Previous studies have focused largely on the molecular mechanisms of resistance but have not investigated the physiological mechanisms or consequences of exposure to the toxins. Adrenal enlargement in snakes often is associated with specialization on a diet of toads. These endocrine glands are partly composed of interrenal tissue, which produces the corticosteroids corticosterone and aldosterone. Corticosterone is the main hormone released in response to stress in reptiles, and aldosterone plays an important role in maintaining ion balance through upregulation of Na/K-ATPase. We tested the endocrine response of select species of snakes to acute cardiotonic steroid exposure by measuring circulating aldosterone and corticosterone concentrations. We found that Rhabdophis tigrinus, which specializes on a diet of toads, responds with lower corticosterone and higher aldosterone compared to other species that exhibit target-site resistance to the toxins but do not specialize on toads. We also found differences between sexes in R. tigrinus, with males generally responding with higher corticosterone and aldosterone than females. This study provides evidence of physiological adaptations, beyond target-site resistance, associated with tolerance of bufadienolides in a specialized toad-eating snake.

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“…Due to the extensive nature of the vasculature and its proximity to the TNMs [14, 15], chemicals administered via the blood reach the TNMs. This morphology has been examined by studying the IR receptor response to vasoactive chemicals, which occurs either by a vasoactive effect on the pit membrane vasculature or by a chemical effect on the IR receptor thermoreceptor channels, such as the transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid family [16-18]. Gracheva et al [19] and Panzano et al [20] found that pit organs respond to temperature using the heat-activated cation channel TRP ankyrin 1 (TRPA1).…”

Section: Pit Organ Location and Structure In Crotaline Snakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infrared-sensitive pit organ and trigeminal ganglion in the crotaline snakes

Moon

2011

Anat Cell Biol

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The infrared (IR) receptors in the pit organ of crotaline snakes are very sensitive to temperature. The sensitivity to IR radiation is much greater in crotaline snakes than in boid snakes because they have a thermosensitive membrane suspended in a pair of pits that comprise the pit organ. The vasculature of the pit membrane, which is located near IR-sensitive terminal nerve masses, the IR receptors, supplies the blood necessary to provide cooling and the energy and oxygen that the IR receptors require. The ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve innervate the pit membrane. In crotaline snakes, the trigeminal ganglion (TG) is divided into the ophthalmic and maxillomandibular ganglia; a prominent septum further separates the two divisions of the maxillomandibular ganglion. The TG neurons in the ophthalmic ganglion and the maxillary division of the maxillomandibular ganglion relay IR sensation to the brain. This article reviews the IR-sensitive pit organ and trigeminal sensory system structures in crotaline snakes.

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Snake Infrared Receptors Respond to Dimethylsulfoxide in the Blood Stream

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

Blood Flow in Snake Infrared Organs: Response‐Induced Changes in Individual Vessels

Blood Flow in Snake Infrared Organs: Response‐Induced Changes in Individual Vessels

Corticosteroid responses of snakes to toxins from toads (bufadienolides) and plants (cardenolides) reflect differences in dietary specializations

Infrared-sensitive pit organ and trigeminal ganglion in the crotaline snakes

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