Neurol Neurochir Pol. 1983 Sep-Oct; 17(5): 535-40.

[Plasma concentration of immunoreactive beta-endorphin in healthy persons during pinpoint stimulation of receptors (acupuncture)]

Szczudlik A, Lypka A.

The participation of the endogenous opiate-like peptide system in the mechanism of the analgesic effect of the stimulation of the peripheral nervous system has been generally accepted but the published results of the investigations on this topic are controversial. The authors studied the plasma beta-endorphin-like activity in 10 healthy subjects before and after pinpoint receptor stimulation (prs). This immunoreactive activity showed fairly high differences in successive determinations but was not significantly different before and after prs. The authors believe that this is an argument against the hypothesis assuming release of pituitary endorphins into the circulating blood after acupuncture but cannot rule out the role of the cerebral beta-endorphin system in the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia.