To address this, we performed a western blot analysis of both TRPV1 and phosphorylated TRPV1 (pTRPV1) to determine whether peripheral ischemia alone or coupled with increased tissue acidity (induced by pH 4.0 saline injection) caused a change in TRPV1 expression and phosphorylation in paw lysates (Figure 3) at postoperative day 3 following three days of acidic saline injection. This evidence concerns the gene TRPV1 and ischemia.