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| endorphin | |
| What is it? | |
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any of a group of opiate proteins with
pain-relieving
properties that are found naturally in the
brain. The main substances
identified as endorphins include the enkephalins, beta-endorphin, and
dynorphin, which were discovered in the 1970s by Roger Guillemin and other
researchers. Endorphins are distributed in characteristic patterns
throughout the nervous system, with beta-endorphin found almost entirely
in the pituitary gland. Endorphins have been found to be clearly involved in the regulation of pain; even the analgesic effects of acupuncture treatments may be attributable to them. Such substances are also believed to have some relation to appetite control, the release of sex hormones through the pituitary, and the adverse effects of shock. There is strong evidence that endorphins are connected with “pleasure centers” in the brain. Knowledge about the behavior of the endorphins and their receptors in the brain has implications for the treatment of opiate addictions and chronic pain disorders. |
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