The classical analgesic pathway of opioids by binding their receptors in the nervous system is well known. However, little is known regarding opioid analgesia through the anti-inflammatory pathway. The present study aimed to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of β-endorphin on inflammatory pain. A rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was generated by intradermal inj...

Recently, there have been advances in the development of new substances effective in managing diabetic disorders. Opioid receptors couple multiple systems to result in various biological effects, although opioids are best known for analgesia. In the present review, we used our recent data to describe the advance in plasma glucose-lowering action of herbal products, especially the mediation of β...

We summarize here our new discovery that the endogenous opioid peptide β-endorphin (BEP), by virtue of reducing body stress and maintaining active immune system, as well as, balancing the levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, destroys tumor cells and stops them from being transformed into metastatic cancer cells.

background: wet cupping therapy is a complementary therapy in pain management. the mechanism of this therapy, however, needs further elucidation. cells injured by wet cupping therapy seem to stimulate the expression of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70). its benefit in pain reduction could be mediated by the expression of ß-endorphin. this study aimed at determining the correlation between hsp70 and...

BACKGROUND Rhodiola rosea (Rhodiola) is a plant in the Crassulaceae family that grows in cold regions of the world. It is mainly used in clinics as an adaptogen. Recently, it has been mentioned that Rhodiola increases plasma β-endorphin to lower blood pressure. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the antidiabetic action of Rhodiola in relation to opioids in streptozotocin-induced diabet...

UV light is an established carcinogen, yet evidence suggests that UV-seeking behavior has addictive features. Following UV exposure, epidermal keratinocytes synthesize proopiomelanocortin (POMC) that is processed to melanocyte-stimulating hormone, inducing tanning. We show that, in rodents, another POMC-derived peptide, β-endorphin, is coordinately synthesized in skin, elevating plasma levels a...

How neuropeptides in the primate spinal cord regulate itch and pain is largely unknown. Here we elucidate the sensory functions of spinal opioid-related peptides and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in awake, behaving monkeys. Following intrathecal administration, β-endorphin (10-100 nmol) and GRP (1-10 nmol) dose-dependently elicit the same degree of robust itch scratching, which can be inhibit...

INTRODUCTION Testicular function in the sand rodent Psammomys obesus is subjected to seasonal alternations with a trigger of spermatogenesis in winter and a total quiescence which extends from late spring to summer. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of b-endorphin in the testis at the period of winter sexual activity and at its summer regression, and assess the effect of...

The aggregation promoter heparin is commonly used to study the aggregation kinetics and biophysical properties of protein amyloids. However, the underlying mechanism for amyloid promotion by heparin remains poorly understood. In the case of the neuropeptide β-endorphin that can reversibly adopt a functional amyloid form in nature, aggregation in the presence of heparin leads to a loss of functi...