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)

Spastic colon is a pathological entity whose clinical symptoms are for the most part abdominal pain, constipation and episodes of diarrhea without loss of weight. In all probability, it is merely a particularly striking presentation of a GI tract that is irritable throughout its entirety. The pathophysiological basis is a disordered propulsive bowel motoricity. Etiologically, psychological factors in the presence of an appropriate genetic or acquired disposition are conceivable. Possible mediators are considered to be noradrenalin, beta-endorphin and the corticotropin-releasing factor. The diagnosis can be established with a high degree of probability on the basis of the characteristic clinical picture. A definitive diagnosis, however, requires the very careful exclusion of other possible diagnoses. Therapy includes talks with the patient, physical and dietetic measures and the use of drugs to ameliorate diarrhea or, in the case of prokinetic agents, to re-establish normal propulsive bowel activity.
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PMID:[Spastic colon (irritable colon)]. 252 95

In a histopathological and immunocytochemical study of biopsy and/or operation specimens from 27 patients with endocrine tumors of the colon and rectum ("hind-gut carcinoids") enkephalin-immunoreactive tumor cells were observed in two cases. Both patients were obese women, about 50 years of age, with a history of constipation. The tumors were situated near the anus in the dorsal wall of the rectum. One tumor had metastasized to a lymph node, and the other showed vascular invasion. The tumor cells were non-argentaffin; some were argyrophil. One tumor contained only few enkephalin-immunoreactive cells but had numerous beta-endorphin-immunoreactive cells, which were distinct from the former. The other contained large numbers of enkephalin-immunoreactive cells but no beta-endorphin cells. Both tumors also harboured glucagon-immunoreactive cells; in one there were also cells containing immunoreactive pancreatic polypeptide. These cells were distinct from the enkephalin-storing ones. No 5-hydroxytryptamine could be detected in the two tumors.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical demonstration of enkephalin and beta-endorphin in endocrine tumors of the rectum. A survey of 27 colo-rectal carcinoids. 698 63

Opium is arguably one of the oldest herbal medicines, being used as analgesic, sedative and antidiarrheal drug for thousands of years. These effects mirror the actions of the endogenous opioid system and are mediated by the principal mu-, kappa- and delta-opioid receptors. In the gut, met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin, beta-endorphin and dynorphin occur in both neurons and endocrine cells. When released, opioid peptides activate opioid receptors on the enteric circuitry controlling motility and secretion. As a result, inhibition of gastric emptying, increase in sphincter tone, induction of stationary motor patterns and blockade of peristalsis ensue. Together with inhibition of ion and fluid secretion, these effects cause constipation, one of the most frequent and troublesome adverse reactions of opioid analgesic therapy. Although laxatives are most frequently used to ameliorate opioid-induced bowel dysfunction, their efficacy is unsatisfactory. Specific antagonism of peripheral opioid receptors is a more rational approach. This goal is addressed by the use of opioid receptor antagonists with limited absorption such as oral prolonged-release naloxone and opioid receptor antagonists that do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier such as methylnaltrexone and alvimopan. Preliminary evidence indicates that peripherally restricted opioid receptor antagonists may act as prokinetic drugs in their own right.
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PMID:Opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract. 1934 46

Cancer pain impairs the quality of life of cancer patients, but opioid analgesics can not only cause inhibition of respiratory function, and constipation, but also other significant side effects such as addiction and tolerance that further decrease quality of life. Thus, in the present study, the effects of electro-acupuncture treatment (EA) on mechanical allodynia were examined in cancer pain mouse model. In order to induce neuropathic cancer pain model, S-180 sarcoma cells were inoculated around the sciatic nerve of left legs of Balb/c mice. The mass of S-180 cancer cells embedded around sciatic nerve in a time course was confirmed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning. Mechanical allodynia was most consistently induced in mouse sarcoma cell line S-180 (2 x 10(6) sarcoma cells) treated group among all groups. EA stimulation (2Hz) was daily given to ST36 (Zusanli) of S-180 bearing mice for 30 min for 9 days after S-180 inoculation. EA treatment significantly prolonged paw withdrawal latency from 5 days after inoculation as well as shortened cumulative lifting duration from 7 days after inoculation compared with tumor control. In addition, the overexpressions of pain peptide substance P in dorsal horn of spinal cord were significantly decreased in EA treated group compared with tumor control on Day 9 after inoculation. Furthermore, EA treatment effectively increased the concentration of beta endorphin in blood and brain of mice more than tumor control as well as normal group. The concentration of beta-endorphin for EA treatment group increased by 51.457% in blood 12.6% in brain respectively, compared with tumor control group. These findings suggest that S-180 cancer pain model can be a consistent and short time animal model and also EA treatment can be an alternative therapeutic method for cancer pain via decreased substance P and increased beta endorphin.
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PMID:Substance P and beta endorphin mediate electroacupuncture induced analgesic activity in mouse cancer pain model. 1971 73

Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome (EAS) is rarely caused by a phaeochromocytoma. We report a case of a 51-year-old woman with an 8-year history of severe constipation who underwent extensive investigations including gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasonography, colonic transit studies and isotope defeacography, which did not reveal any pathology other than slow colonic transit time. The unifying diagnosis of ectopic ACTH and phaeochromocytoma was made after the case was initially investigated for an adrenal incidentaloma. Multiple challenges had to be overcome prior to surgery for the functioning adrenal adenoma including management of refractory hypokalaemia, poor nutritional status, persistent hyperglycaemia, labile blood pressure and florid hypercortisolaemia driving the metabolic derangements. She underwent an uneventful left-sided adrenalectomy and required no medication thereafter with normal blood pressure, blood glucose and serum potassium and resolution of constipation and abdominal symptoms. In conclusion, patients with EAS related to phaeochromocytoma are rare and present with distinctive diagnostic and management challenges but if diagnosed successfully and managed intensively, they are curable.
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PMID:Ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone syndrome (EAS) with phaeochromocytoma: a challenging endocrine case with a happy ending. 3143 76

The prebiotics inulin (INU) and isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) influence intestinal health and immunity, but their effects on constipation are not clearly established. We evaluated the effects of INU and IMO in a rat model of diphenoxylate-induced constipation. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups: basal diet (Con), 40 mg kg-1 diphenoxylate (PCon), 20 g kg-1 INU and treated with 40 mg kg-1 diphenoxylate, and 20 g kg-1 IMO and treated with 40 mg kg-1 diphenoxylate. INU and IMO increased the number, weight, and water content of fecal pellets, and decreased the time to the first black stool in rats with constipation. Serum levels of the gastrointestinal motility-related hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), motilin (MTL), and Substance P (SP) were higher and corticosterone (CORT), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were lower in rats treated with prebiotics than in untreated rats. Colon tissue levels of MTL and SP were increased, and VIP and CGRP were decreased by prebiotics. Furthermore, in rats with constipation, INU and IMO increased the colonic contents of short-chain fatty acids. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was lower in the prebiotics groups than in the Con and PCon groups. Lactobacillus was more abundant in the INU and IMO groups than in PCon rats. Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus intestinalis were more abundant in the IMO group than in the PCon group (P < 0.01), and L. intestinalis was more abundant in the INU group than in the PCon group (P < 0.01). In summary, INU and IMO improved constipation and altered the intestinal microbiota in a rat model of constipation.
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PMID:Effects of inulin and isomalto-oligosaccharide on diphenoxylate-induced constipation, gastrointestinal motility-related hormones, short-chain fatty acids, and the intestinal flora in rats. 3303 Apr 79