title: Treatment of pain in cancer patients by intrathecal administration of dynorphin.
abstract: Dynorphin-(1-13) and -(1-10) were administered by intrathecal injection into six terminal cancer patients at doses of 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 micrograms. Compared with saline, both analogues of dynorphin were effective in suppressing pain. The duration of relief at doses of 15 micrograms and above was more than 4 hours on the average for both peptides. However, no proportional increase in response was observed when the dose applied was doubled. This lack of response might have been due to the development of tolerance.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C026843:dynorphin (1-13); D004399:Dynorphins; C039666:dynorphin amide (1-10)