Opioid-containing leukocytes can counteract inflammatory hyperalgesia. Under stress or after local injection of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), opioid peptides are released from leukocytes, bind to opioid receptors on peripheral sensory neurons…
Proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived beta-endorphin1-31 (END) released from immune cells inhibits inflammatory pain. We examined the expression of END and POMC mRNA encoding the signal sequence required for entry of the nascent polypeptide into the…