BACKGROUND Stimulation of the antinociceptive system by noninvasive electrical current from electrodes placed on the head is a renewed method of pain relief. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 20 chronic back pain patients. They were treated with either transcranial electrostimulation (TCES) or an active placebo device. Pain level and serum beta-endor...

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the hypothalamus are direct targets of peripheral satiety signals, such as leptin and insulin in mammals. The stimulation of these signals activates hypothalamic POMC neurons and elevates POMC-derived melanocortin peptides that inhibit food intake in mammals. On the other hand, it has been recognized that beta-endorphin, a post-translational processing of ...

In the present study, we demonstrated that repeated treatment with fentanyl, but not morphine or oxycodone, causes a rapid desensitization to its ability to block the hyperalgesia associated with the attenuation of mu-opioid receptor resensitization in mice in a chronic pain-like state. In contrast, no such effect was noted in beta-endorphin knockout mice under the chronic pain-like conditions....

This paper argues that parent-offspring conflict is mediated by placental beta-endorphins in placental mammals, i.e., foetuses make their mothers endorphin-dependent then manipulate them to increase nutrient allocation to the placenta. This hypothesis predicts that: (1) anatomic position of endorphin production should mirror its presumed role in fetal-maternal conflict; (2) endorphin levels sho...

In the fetal lung, endogenous transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) inhibits early morphogenesis and blocks hormone-induced type II cell differentiation. We hypothesized that endogenous TGF-ß inhibits type II cell differentiation and that the stimulatory effects of glucocorticoids result in part from suppression of TGF-ß. Epithelial cells were isolated from human fetal lung and cultured under de...

Further investigation of polar constituents in white lupin roots revealed the presence of genistein 7-O-ß-glucoside (la), genistein 4'-0-ß-glucoside (lb), 2'-hydroxygenistein 7-0ß-glucoside (2a) and 2'-hydroxygenistein 4'-0-ß-glucoside (2b) as simple isoflavone gluco­ sides; luteone 7-O-ß-glucoside (3 a), licoisoflavone A 7-O-ß-glucoside (4 a) and licoisoflavone A 4'-0-ß-glucoside (4b) as preny...

Abstract Introduction Sleep disorders constitute a major public health burden yet remain widely undiagnosed and untreated. The prevalence of diagnosed sleep associations with objectively measured sleep-wake dysfunction vary across populations. Here, we examined the self-reported objective architectural correlates four in large sample individuals using consumer technology. Methods Data from 33,4...

BACKGROUND The study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of a combination of intravenous flurbiprofen axetil and opioids, and evaluate the relationship between refractory pain relief and plasma β-endorphin levels in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 120 cancer patients was randomly divided into two groups, 60 patients took orally morphine sulfate sustained-release tablet...

Objective: The adverse events caused by intubation may contribute to serious cardiovascular and systemic stress responses, especially in pediatric patients. Alternative airway maintenance techniques may attenuate these hemodynamic and systemic stress responses. This study aimed to compare the hemodynamic and systemic stress responses of the insertion of Oro-Pharyngeal airway cap (OPLAC) and End...