beta-endorphin and Abdominal-Pain

To observe the clinical effect of wrist-ankle acupuncture on postpartum abdominal pain and its influence on serum beta-endorphin (β-EP) level in puerpera.. Seventy patients with postpartum abdominal pain were randomly divided into an acupuncture + herbal medication group (35 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a herbal medication group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped out). In the herbal medication group, 1 day after delivery, modified. At each time point after treatment (24 h, 48 h and 72 h after delivery), VAS scores and the uterine fundus height were reduced as compared with those before treatment (2 h after delivery) in the two groups (. Wrist-ankle acupuncture obviously reduces the degree of postpartum abdominal pain and promotes the lochia discharge and the uterine recovery. The effect mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of serum β-EP level and the increase of pain threshold so that analgesia is obtained.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Ankle; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Wrist

To observe the effect of different frequency electroacupuncture (EA) on hippocampal substance P (SP) and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) in rats with gastralgia so as to explore its underlying mechanism in preventing and relieving visceral pain.. Fifty rats were randomly divided into control, sham operation, model, low- frequency-EA and high frequency-EA groups. Gastralgia model was duplicated by gastric distension (a pressure of 40 mmHg) with a latex balloon. Low (2 Hz) and high (100 Hz) frequency EA was applied to bilateral "Zusanli (ST 36)" for 30 min. Pain score was given by using Al-Chaer's method (abdominal withdrawal reflex) and the expression of hypothalamic beta-EP and SP was detected by immunohistochemistry.. Both low- and high-frequency EA of ST 36 could significantly lower the pain score (P < 0.01), and the effect of high-frequency EA was markedly superior to that of low-frequency (P < 0.01). Compared with control and sham-operation groups, both SP immuno-reaction (IR) and beta-EP IR positive cells in the hypothalamus in model group increased significantly in the number (P < 0.01), suggesting an upregulation of SP and beta-EP expression after occurrence of gastralgia. In comparison with model group, the number of SP IR and (beta-EP IR positive cells in the hypothalamus in low frequency and high frequency EA groups increased further (P < 0.01) particularly in low frequency EA group.. Both low-frequency and high-frequency EA of "Zusanli (ST 36)" can effectively relieve gastric distension-induced gastralgia in the rat, and the effect of high-frequency EA is better, which may be closely related to its actions in promoting the release and synthesis of hypothalamic beta-EP and SP.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Acupuncture Points; Animals; beta-Endorphin; Electroacupuncture; Gene Expression Regulation; Hypothalamus; Male; Rats; Substance P

We investigated whether central pain mechanisms including the endogenous antinociceptive system are involved in functional abdominal pain--that is, abdominal pain without abnormal findings at routine examinations. beta-Endorphin, met-enkephalin immunoreactivity, and dynorphin immunoreactivity were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from nine patients with long-lasting functional abdominal pain and nine pain-free controls undergoing minor surgery while under spinal analgesia. Furthermore, pain sensitivity was evaluated with an ischaemic pain test comparing 21 functional abdominal pain patients with two control groups: 1) 24 patients with organic abdominal pain due to duodenal ulcer, gallstone, or urinary tract calculi, and 2) 13 healthy pain-free controls. The CSF beta-endorphin concentration was significantly decreased in the functional abdominal pain group as compared with nine matched controls (P = 0.01). Met-enkephalin and dynorphin immunoreactivities were normal. This part of the investigation was suspended after nine patients had been tested, because of post-lumbar-puncture headache. With regard to pain sensitivity, no significant difference between the three groups was shown, but subdivision of the functional abdominal pain group showed that individuals with pain and no symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were significantly more sensitive to pain than functional abdominal pain patients with IBS and healthy controls (P = 0.04).

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; beta-Endorphin; Dynorphins; Enkephalin, Methionine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Threshold