title: Opioid-like activity in the cerebrospinal fluid of pain patients treated by electroacupuncture.
abstract: Thirteen patients with pain from various causes were treated by electroacupuncture for 30 min. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained before and after treatment. Opioid-like substances in the CSF were fractionated by high pressure liquid chromatography and assayed by competitive receptor binding using a mu-specific radioligand, [D-ala2, MePhe4, gly-ol5]-enkephalin (DAGO). Opioid activity, associated with a fraction, eluted at 18-20% acetonitrile, consistently showed an increase in level after acupuncture. Two other fractions eluted at larger concentrations of acetonitrile also increased significantly after acupuncture; however the increase was not consistently observed in every patient. Measurements of beta-endorphin and dynorphin by radioimmunoassay indicated that 80 and 60% of the patients, respectively, had a higher level of these peptides after acupuncture. The nature of the opioid activity, eluted at 18-20% acetonitrile is unknown; however a small amount of it could be found in various parts of the brain of rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D059408:Pain Management; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D004399:Dynorphins