Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Opioids produce analgesia by interacting with local opioid receptors in peripheral inflamed tissue. This study investigated whether endogenous ligands of these receptors are present in synovia and whether such opioid peptides can inhibit pain by activation of intra-articular opioid receptors. Samples of synovium from 8 patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery were examined by immunohistochemistry for the presence of beta-endorphin, met-enkephalin, and dynorphin. All tissue samples showed synovitis. Inflammatory cells stained strongly for beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin but not for dynorphin. To find out whether blockade of intra-articular opioid receptors affected pain, we randomly assigned 22 patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery to receive naloxone (0.04 mg) intra-articularly (n = 10) or intravenously (n = 12); each patient received a placebo injection into the other site. Postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale, a numerical rating scale, the McGill pain questionnaire, and supplementary analgesic consumption during the next 24 h. All pain scores were higher in the intra-articular naloxone group than in the intravenous naloxone group. The differences were significant (p < 0.05) during the first 4 h. Supplementary analgesic consumption was significantly higher in the intra-articular group (52.5 [14.0] vs 15.6 [8.0] mg diclofenac, p < 0.05). Opioid peptides are present in inflamed synovial tissue and can inhibit pain after knee surgery through an action specific to intra-articular opioid receptors. These findings expand the gate control theory of pain and suggest new approaches such as the development of peripherally acting opioid analgesics without central side-effects.
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PMID:Local analgesic effect of endogenous opioid peptides. 810 82

Peripheral corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is an important regulator of localized inflammatory responses. The aim of this study is to define the pathological signaling pathways in which peripheral CRH receptor-mediated responses reside. We report that PECAM-1-expressing synovial membrane endothelial cells are the principal source of CRH receptor subtype 1alpha in chronically inflamed synovial tissue (ST). Analysis of ST from an early arthritis patient cohort (n = 9) established that expression of CRH-R1alpha significantly (P < 0.03) colocalized with PECAM-1 and E-selectin expression in vivo. Freshly excised ST explants released a mediator(s) that acts to promote CRH-R1alpha mRNA to levels present in inflamed human synovium (n = 8). We tested the ability of conditioned medium and individual inflammatory mediators to modulate CRH-R1alpha expression. Histamine selectively induced the expression of CRH-R1alpha, and these effects were mediated through the histamine receptor type 1. Ectopic expression of CRH-R1alpha in normal human endothelial and synoviocyte cells resulted in the induction of the orphan receptor NR4A2 through the reconstitution of cAMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein signaling and identified a role for CRH in modulating nuclear factor kappaB transcriptional activity. CRH enhanced the expression of nitric-oxide synthase (NOS III) to promote NO production from CRH-R1alpha-expressing cells. These data establish a role for CRH receptor-mediated responses in regulating vascular changes associated with chronic synovitis.
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PMID:A role for type 1alpha corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in mediating local changes in chronically inflamed tissue. 1732 94

The objective of the present study was to estimate the efficacy of pulsed laser radiation from a matrix radiator for the treatment of patients suffering osteoarthrosis of the knee joint. A total of 25 patients aged from 50 to 75 years with I-II stage gonarthrosis (GA) were enrolled (20 without synovitis and 5 with mild synovitis). Nineteen patients presented with oligoosteoarthrosis and six with polyosteoarthrosis. The state of capillary blood flow was assessed from the results of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) using a LAKK-01 laser analyzer of surface capillary blood flow (NPP "LAZMA", Russia). Prior to the treatment, all the patients with gonarthrosis had microcirculatory disturbances; based on their character, the patients were allocated to two groups in accordance with the classification proposed by V.I. Makolkin. Group 1 was comprised of the patients (92%) with the hyperemic type of microcirculation while group 2 included patients (8%) with its normnnocirculatory type. A single course of pulsed laser therapy resulted in the appearance of the signs of normalization of capillary blood flow. LDF revealed a physiological response of microvessels to pulsed laser radiation that manifested itself in the first place as the improvement of active mechanisms of regulation of microcirculation.
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PMID:[The use of the medical rehabilitation technology for the correction of microcirculatory disorders in the patients presenting with gonarthrosis]. 2269 37