![Fight pain with the venom of a small Pacific fish](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2017-04-03/i56703-combattre-la-douleur-grace-au-venin-d-un-petit-poisson-du-pacifique.jpg)
April 3, 2017.
According to a study by a team of researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, the venom of the blenny, a small Pacific fish, could be used to develop a new treatment for pain.
The venom does not cause pain but paralyzes the victim
How to effectively fight pain? The blenny, a fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific, may provide an answer to this question. British and Australian researchers have indeed discovered that its venom had virtues similar to those of opium. In any case, this is what a study published in the American journal reveals. Current Biology.
According to these studies, the blenny which, although measuring between 4 and 7 centimeters, is a formidable fish, because when predators try to swallow it, it attacks with its two fangs located on its lower jaw and injects its venom. But this venom does not cause any pain, unlike most venoms. He only paralyzes his victim for a few moments. This allows the blenny to run away quickly.
A venom that acts like morphine
Based on this observation, the researchers wanted to analyze the composition of this venom and they found that it contained peptides, which ” act like heroin or morphine ” in ” removing pain “. According to the authors of this study, this venom is ” chemically unique “. It would indeed contain an enzyme similar to that found in scorpion venom but also an opium compound.
The first experiments carried out by the researchers on mice showed that this venom did not cause any pain. Further research will be needed to find out if this venom could serve as a basis for treating pain in humans. It seems that the neuropeptide and the opioid component present in the venom could cause a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Marine Rondot
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