For decade , rumors have been diffuse about the witching major power of M&M ’s . Some claim that green M&M ’s deed as an aphrodisiac . Sadly , research worker have yet to study the link between unripe dye and increased sexual desire . But someone didstudy the dyeused for gamey M&M ’s , and the finding might have a striking impact preclude spinal corduroy injury .
The dye , known as Brilliant Blue G ( BBG ) , resembles FD&C blue dye No . 1 , which give blueish Gatorade and M&M ’s their garish hue . Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that if they injected BBG into rats who have suffer abide paralyze spinal electric cord injuries within the last 15 minute , the rats would be capable to take the air again . regrettably , the rats walk with a limp and turned a niggling blue . [ See picture :]
Maiken Nedergaard , one of the lead research worker , had antecedently discovered that when a spinal injury occurs , adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ) floods into the area surrounding the combat injury . Normally , ATP gain human mobile phone because it keeps them awake . But in the type of an injury , the sudden influx of ATP overstimulates otherwise healthy neurons and causes them to die of metabolic tension , often create petty injury and more spinal corduroy damage . The ATP cellphone constellate to the spine because they ’re attracted to P2X7 , or death receptors , find in abundance in spinal neurons .
Nedergaard and her colleague needed a substance that would block the ATP and P2X7 from latching together . Oxidized ATP stopped the adherence , but had negative side outcome . After serendipitously discovering that BBG , a P2X7R antagonist , is similar to FD&C blueish dyestuff No.1 , researchers injected BBG into the rats ' parentage . The dye stop the mobile phone deaths and rats that received the injectant walk again . Rats that went without the shots never regain their ability to take the air .
