Comments on: Naked Mole Rat is Impervious to Acid and Feels No Pain

By: SteveXR7

SteveXR7 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:43:57 +0000

Who gives a mole rat's ass?

By: peter

peter — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:12:15 +0000

how do you get rid of a nacked mole rat then?

By: charlie

charlie — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:39:29 +0000

Thanks for the link! I think what they've discovered is that they don't feel pain caused by acidity, not that they can't be damaged by acidity. Dumping them in a vat of acid would definitely kill them, though it might be a painless death.

By: sparge

sparge — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:09:13 +0000

Unaffected by acid, yes.

Impervious to acid, no.

By: su.wei

su.wei — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:22:07 +0000

animals never cease to amaze me.

By: NeuroGirl

NeuroGirl — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:50:53 +0000

This type of test is usually done by first anesthetizing the animal and then placing a small piece of paper in a known concentration of acid and then placing the paper on the skin (for pain tolerance, this is typically the inner thigh or lower back). A reaction is observed for speed and intensity. The acid concentrations increase gradually and immediately after reaction, the acid is neutralized with bicarbonate. Any potential burn areas are salved and dressed before allowing the anesthesia to wear off. Though attempts are made to not cause any burns, it still happens occasionally. It's a typical laboratory experiment and, in the grand scale of laboratory experiments, is minimally harmful.

By: fz

fz — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:30:00 +0000

"It’s not torture, if it feels no pain …"

Actually, in the article it says they did perform experiments where they did feel pain:

"...Park and his colleagues found the DNA restored the naked mole rats' ability to feel the burning sensation other mammals experience from capsaicin."

However it's not like they threw the animal into a vat of acid.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:25:59 +0000

It's not torture, if it feels no pain ...

By: Aar000n

Aar000n — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:59:44 +0000

To those who think they go around torturing animals:

They probably measured the co2 levels and the acid down in their holes, and found out about this, and tested it.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:48:59 +0000

It's got that "so ugly it's cute" thing going. Besides, I think it's smiling fully aware it's naked shame is going to be posted all over the Internet. LOL!

By: Jerse

Jerse — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:31:15 +0000

Wah wah wah, why don't we all cry about it?

Suffering is the way of the world. Whether it's being subject to acid and chili pepper torture or living their entire lives fighting vicious cannibals in disease filled sewers - the life of a rat short and painful.

I think this is great. If we can figure out a way to ease the suffering of just one person by beating and torturing 12 trillion rats just to see what happens - go for it.

By: Foodeater

Foodeater — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:34:57 +0000

"This work may help lead to better understanding and treatment of chronic pain in human."

By torturing harmless mole rats with acid and chili peppers? Personally, I'd rather take the pain than have such cruelty inflicted on any other living thing on my behalf.

It's not human pain we need to be worried about, it's the sad state of our human condition.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:08:27 +0000

"...the hairless, bucktoothed rodents are invulnerable to the pain of acid and the sting of chili peppers."

Whoa. What kind of tests are they running here? Just what exactly would make a rodent yelp in pain? I'm no PETA member, but doesn't that seem a little... twisted?

I could suggest a few other alternatives to these scientists... how about mace, or ground up glass shards stuffed in their eyes, or perhaps mock the size of their genitalia.