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PMID: 8780 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

beta-endorphin is a potent analgesic agent.

Loh HH, Tseng LF, Wei E, Li CH

Abstract

beta-Endorphin, an opiate-like peptide, has potent antinociceptive properties when it is administered directly into the brain and assayed in the the tail-flick, hot-plate, and writhing tests in mice and in the wet shake test in rats. On a molar basis, beta-endorphin is 18 to 33 times more potent than morphine and its actions are blocked by the specific opiate antagonist, naloxone hydrochloride. The activity of beta-endorphin in vivo is also compared to other peptides that show opiate-like activity in assays in vitro.

MeSH Terms
Analgesics, Opioid Animals Biological Assay Humans Ligands Male Mice Mice, Inbred ICR Morphine/pharmacology Naloxone/pharmacology Nerve Tissue Proteins/pharmacology Oligopeptides/pharmacology Peptides/antagonists & inhibitors,pharmacology Rats Structure-Activity Relationship Substance-Related Disorders beta-Lipotropin/pharmacology
Chemicals
Analgesics, Opioid Ligands Nerve Tissue Proteins Oligopeptides Peptides Naloxone Morphine beta-Lipotropin
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Loh H H
Tseng L F
Wei E
Li C H
References (21)
21 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
Published
1976-08-00
Pages
2895-8
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC430793
Subset
IM
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