Medical Does arteries / veins have nociceptors?

[algis.j]

Does arteries / veins have nociceptors?

i.e.:if an army of 'nanobots' ramble in my circulatory system; would I occasionally "feel" them??

Thank you :)

 

[Andy Resnick]

Nociceptors seem to be mainly associated with epithelia (although there are nociceptors in muscle and joint tissue), so I would guess no. OTOH, if they crossed the slit diaphragm into the glomerulus and renal nephron (which is epithelia), you may feel them.

Sounds like the beginning of a bad R01 application...

 

[algis.j]

Thank you :)

Sounds like the beginning of a bad R01 application...

Why "bad"?

 

[Moonbear]

Nociceptors seem to be mainly associated with epithelia (although there are nociceptors in muscle and joint tissue), so I would guess no.

Vasculature is lined by epithelial cells too, though.

But, I'm not sure. The only thing that comes to mind that might help toward answering this question is that there are some drugs that give a burning sensation when administered i.v., though this is pretty rare.

On the other hand, when I think little nanotech stuff administered into circulation, I presume it would be designed so it isn't non-specifically attaching to receptors, so only the potential for bumping mechanoreceptors would be an issue (something that responds to pressure or touch rather than chemical binding). I don't think such a receptor would be present inside blood vessels, otherwise people developing blood clots my have more of a warning of their presence before they blocked off circulation to some part of the body.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Thank you :)
Why "bad"?

because it's based on pure speculation- the nanobots do not exist.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Vasculature is lined by epithelial cells too, though.
<snip>.

Are you sure? I thought it was endothelial cells.

 

[rplatter]

I would guess you have a better chance of feeling the effects rather than the bots themselves.
However, the real answer would have to do with how small the bots are and what they are designed to do.
Your blood vessels are filled with little biological machines. You don't normally notice them.
I'll explain. Cells can be considered machines in that they perform a function. And they do it independantly for the most part. Some perform more complicated funtions than others. White blood cells are almost independant entities. Scouring the body for stuff that doesn't belong and then removing it. (Sounds like a nanobot to me)

You don't feel white blood cells in your body (unless they aren't working properly) so I wouldn't imagine you would feel nanobots.

But you might feel the changes they make. Inflamation being one sign of white blood cells attacking things they shouldn't.
Similar reactions might be noticable for Nanobots.
Particularly if they had an affinity for something like nerve cells. (Or a particular type of fat used to line nerve cells)

 

[algis.j]

Thank you.

They would have to be 'transparent' tho; for the immune system.