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Related Concept Videos

Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
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Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
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Opioid Receptors: Overview

Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]-enkephalin or DPDPE for...
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Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
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Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...

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Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects
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What do plasma beta-endorphin levels reveal about endogenous opioid analgesic function?

S Bruehl1, J W Burns, O Y Chung

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA. stephen.bruehl@vanderbilt.edu

European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|February 17, 2012
PubMed
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Resting beta-endorphin (BE) levels may indicate reduced pain relief capacity. Higher baseline BE was linked to greater pain and less opioid analgesia, especially in chronic low back pain patients.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Research
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Plasma beta-endorphin (BE) levels are studied in relation to pain, but their role in endogenous opioid system function is unclear.
  • Understanding resting BE may offer insights into the body's natural pain-relief mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between resting plasma BE levels and endogenous opioid analgesic responses to acute pain.
  • To compare these associations in healthy controls and individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP).

Main Methods:

  • Assessed resting plasma BE levels in 39 healthy controls and 37 LBP patients.
  • Administered opioid blockade (naloxone) or placebo in a double-blind, randomized crossover design.
  • Measured pain intensity from acute stimuli (finger pressure, ischemic forearm pain) to determine blockade effects indexing opioid function.

Main Results:

  • Higher resting BE correlated with greater pain intensity in the placebo condition, particularly in healthy controls.
  • Elevated resting BE predicted reduced endogenous opioid analgesia (smaller blockade effects) across both pain tasks.
  • This association between higher resting BE and reduced analgesia was more pronounced in LBP participants for ischemic pain.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated resting plasma BE may serve as a biomarker for diminished endogenous opioid analgesic capacity.
  • This finding is particularly relevant for individuals experiencing chronic pain conditions like LBP.
  • Results suggest potential clinical implications for assessing and managing pain.