Endogenous opioid peptide found in the brain that may serve as a neurotransmitter.
Substance produced in the brain that acts opiate-like and produces analgesia.
Drugs which cause the activities of the central nervous system to slow down.
A naturally occurring protein that has a morphinelike activity.
A class of hormones produced in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Discovered by John Hughes and Hans Kosterlitz in 1975, they are some of the endorphins.
The first internal body substance, extracted from the brain and the pituitary gland identified having a narcotic effect within the body.
Two forms: met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin; both are released by mesenteric neurons as a consequence of the processing of proopiomelanocortin. Each contains five amino acids. In the gut, they inhibit gut motility and mucosal secretions while stimulating sphincter tone. Enkephalins are also released by the CNS neurons, the hypothalamus, and 20 other areas outside the hypothalamus. Their function in the CNS is not altogether clear.
A naturally occurring protein that has a morphinelike activity.
Any of a group of brain chemicals (proteins) that influence mental activity and behavior (sometimes grouped with the endorphins as natural opiates). Evidence shows that these chemicals influence the body’s immune system and help fight disease.
Pain-relieving chemicals produced in the body. Enkephalins are located in the brain and spinal cord. Their function is to inhibit neurotransmitters in the passage of pain perception. This helps to reduce the emotional perception as well as the physical reality of pain.
Peptides that have a pain-killing effect similar to that of endorphins. Produced by certain nerve endings and in the brain, enkephalins (also spelt encephalins) are also believed to act as a sedative and mood-changer.
A pentapeptide produced in the brain. It acts as an opiate and produces analgesia by binding to opiate receptor sites involved in pain perception. The threshold for pain is therefore increased by this action. Enkephalins may have a role in explaining the withdrawal signs of narcotic addiction.