"We were conducting a study on pain using black C57 mice, a dark-furred laboratory strain," the author said. "In this model, we administered a substance called resiniferatoxin to activate a receptor expressed by sensory nerve fibres and induce intense pain. Some four weeks after systemic injection of the toxin, a PhD student observed that the animals' fur had turned completely white."
The experiment was repeated several times until the researchers concluded that the phenomenon was indeed due to the application of resiniferatoxin, a naturally occurring chemical found in resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera), a cactus-like plant native to Morocco.
Science Mission
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