The discovery that ATP is a pain-signaling factor immediately suggested what possible therapeutic approach to alleviate chronic pain?

Question

A.  create large intracellular aggregates of ATP
B.  treat with an ATP receptor antagonist
C.  block the synthesis of ATP inside cells
D.  use electric stimulation on pain centers of the brain

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about pain? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

B.  treat with an ATP receptor antagonist


Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · Possible therapeutic approaches related to ATP.
What type of thinking is required?
            o This is an evaluate question because you have to use logic to evaluate which potential therapeutic approach might alleviate chronic pain.

Gather Content
What do you already know about pain? What other information is related to the question?
        · You already know that the sensation of pain is elicited by activating nociceptors. If ATP is a pain signaling factor, then this means that ATP must bind to a nociceptive receptor to open up ion channels. It also means that ATP antagonists could be used to block those same receptors and potentially block pain. You also know that ATP is the power source for the cell, so any manipulation of ATP itself inside the cell could be very dangerous.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · Creating large intracellular aggregates of ATP should not have an effect of nociceptors since these receptors would be on the outside of cells. Blocking the synthesis of ATP would be harmful to the cells since ATP is their source of energy, without which, they would die. Using electrical stimulation on pain centers in the brain may or may not alleviate chronic pain, but has nothing to do with ATP being a pain-signaling factor. Treating with an ATP receptor antagonist, which would prevent ATP from binding to it and sending a pain signal, is the most logical answer.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        · Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to weigh and  judge, or evaluate, which the potential therapeutic approaches to alleviate chronic pain. If you got it wrong, did you think that by blocking the synthesis of ATP you would prevent ATP-associated nociceptors from being bound by ATP and thus block pain? The problem with that is that nociceptors are located at the cell surface, not inside the cell, and blocking ATP production would kill the cell.