Endorphins stress

Enkephalins and Endorphins, Stress and the Immune System, Plenum Press, New York, 1986. 

Stress-related immune dysregulation also involves the synthesis of hormones including ACTH, growth hormone, and prolactin.14-17 Interestingly, it has also been demonstrated that various aspects of the immune response, for example., proliferation of B- and T-cells, cytokine production, antibody production, chemotaxis of monocytes and neutrophils, and natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, can be affected by glucocorticoids (including cortisol) as well as peptides such as ACTH, CRH, endorphins, substance P, and somatostatin.1218... 

Malarkey, W.B. et al., Influence of academic stress and season on 24-hour mean concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, and 6-endorphin, Psychoneuroimmunology, 20, 499, 1995. 

SantareUi L, Gobbi G, Debs PC, SibiUe FT, Blier P, Hen R, Heath MJ (2001) Genetic and pharmacological disruption of neimokinin 1 receptor function decreases anxiety-related behaviors and increases serotonergic fimction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98 1912-1917 Schedlowski M, Fluge T, Richter S, Tewes U, Schmidt RE, Wagner TO (1995) Beta-endorphin, but not substance-P, is increased by acute stress in hiunans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 20 103-110... 

Baker DG, West SA, Orth DN, Hill KK, Nicholson WE, Ekhator NN, Bruce AB, Wortman MD, Keck PE, Geracioti JD (1997) Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma beta endorphin in combat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 22 517-529 Bauer EP, Schafe GE, LeDoux JE (2002) NMDA receptors and L-type voltage-gated calcium channels contribute to long-term potentiation and different components of fear memory formation in the lateral amygdala. J Neurosci 22 5239-5249... 

Hoffmann L, Bimges Watson P, Wilson G, Montgomery J (1989) Low plasma b-endorphin in posttramnatic stress disorder. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 23 269-273 Holsboer F (2000) The corticosteroid receptor hypothesis of depression. Nemopsychophar-macology 23 477-501... 

Constantopoulos A, Papadaki-Papandreou U, Papaconstantinou E Increased beta-endorphin but not Leu-enkephahn in plasma due to preoperative stress. Expeiientia 51(1) 16-18, 1995... 

So, there s actually a biological basis to the euphoric sensation associated with high-level physical activity, such as the runner s high described by long-distance runners and exercise gurus The euphoria is caused by the body s release of endorphins and enkephalins produced by prolonged exercise or stress on the body. 

Physical exercise increases brain endorphin, a powerful natural painkiller and tranquilizer. This increased endorphin helps reduce stress. 

It has long been known that stress can elevate the pain threshold. In rodents this may be quantified by measuring the increase in the pain threshold following prolonged unavoidable foot shock. Under conditions of environmental stress, the pain threshold has also been shown to increase in man. Such effects have been attributed to a rise in opioid peptides in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Conversely, in chronic pain syndromes, the CSF concentration of the endorphins decreases. 

SP, which can function as a neurotransmitter in various brain regions, suppresses the action of morphine and endorphins and is thought to play a protective role against stress-determined disturbances. 

The morphinomimetic peptides react with the same receptors as the opiate alkaloids and presumably represent the endogenous agonists of these receptors. /i-Endorphin, which represents the functionally active molecule, plays a role in the response of the organism to stress stimuli. The analgesic effect in the body can be traced back to the secretion of /1-endorphin. Accordingly, acupuncture, for example, activates the central nervous endorphin system and causes an increase in the endorphin concentration, leading to the elimination of sensitivity to pain. Presumably there are endorphinergic systems in the central nervous system (CNS) in which the endorphins assume a neuro-modulatory function. 

Kjter A., Knigge U, Bach FW, Warberg J (1992) Histamine- and stress-induced secretion of ACTH and B-endorphin involvement of corticotropin-releasing hormone and vasopressin. Neuroendocrinol 56 419 128. 

Kvetnansky R, Tilders FJH, Van Zoest ID, Dobrakovova M, Berkenbosch F, Culman J, Zeman P, Smelik PG (1987) Sympathoadrenal activity facilitates P-endorphin and a-MSH secretion but does not potentiate ACTH secretion during immobilization stress. Neuroendocrinology 45 318-324. 

Since the discovery and characterization of P-endorphin (31 amino acids) as an opioid peptide in 1976, the opinion has been widely held that this peptide has a role in the control of pain (Akil et al., 1984 Basbaum and Fields, 1984 Loh et al 1976 Rossier et al., 1977). POMC-derived P-endorphin is considered to be a key component of the endogenous antinociceptive system attenuating the stress- and inflammation-induced hyperalgesia (Rossier et al., 1977 Stein et al., 1990 Sun et al., 2003). It binds with high affinity to both MOR and DOR (Akil et al., 1984). Pain stimulation induces PAG release of 3-endorphin and the ICV administration of 3-endorphin produces analgesia (Akil et al., 1984). Similarly, both spinal and peripheral administration of 3-endorphin evokes antinociceptive effects in different pain models (Chung et al., 1994 Stein et al., 1990 Suh et al., 1994 Suh et al.,... 

Palkovits M (1984) Distribution of neuropeptides in the central nervous system a review of biochemical mapping studies. Prog Neurobiol 23 151-189 Palkovits M (2000) Stress-induced expression of co-loctilized neuropeptides in hypothalamic and amygdaloid neurons. Eur J Pharmacol 405 161-166 Palkovits M, Mezey E, Eskay RL (1987) Pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides (ACTH/beta-endorphin/ alpha-MSH) in brainstem btiroreceptor areas of the rat. Brain Res 436 323-338... 

Rossier J, French ED, Rivier C, Ling N, Girillemin R, Bloom F (1977) Foot-shock induced stress increases beta-endorphin levels in blood but not brain. Nature 270 618-620 Roumy M, Zajac J-M (1998) Neuropeptide FF, pain and analgesia. Eur J Pharmacol 345 1-11 Rousselot P, Papadopoulos G, Merighi A, Poulain DA, Theodosis DT (1990) Oxytocineigic innervation of the rat spinal cord. An electron microscopic study. Brain Res 529 178-184... 

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