ENDORPHIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does endorphin mean? 

• ENDORPHIN (noun)
  The noun ENDORPHIN has 1 sense:

1. a neurochemical occurring naturally in the brain and having analgesic properties

  Familiarity information: ENDORPHIN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENDORPHIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A neurochemical occurring naturally in the brain and having analgesic properties

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("endorphin" is a kind of...):

peptide (amide combining the amino group of one amino acid with the carboxyl group of another; usually obtained by partial hydrolysis of protein)

neurochemical (any organic substance that occurs in neural activity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "endorphin"):

beta endorphin (an endorphin produced by the pituitary gland that suppresses pain)

enkephalin (an endorphin having opiate qualities that occurs in the brain and spinal cord and elsewhere)

 Context examples 

The term endorphin is also sometimes used to refer to all opioid peptides, but the narrower sense is used here; OPIOID PEPTIDES is used for the broader group.

(Endorphin, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

It is believed that endorphin release during exercise minimizes pain and improves effectiveness of analgesics.

(Exercise Pain Management, NCI Thesaurus)

They are endogenous peptides such as endorphins that influence neural activity or functioning.

(Neuropeptide, NCI Thesaurus)

This may be due to exogenous endorphin production release after stimulation.

(Piezo-Electric Current Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)

An endorphin is a type of neurotransmitter.

(Endorphin, NCI Dictionary)

Other polypeptide ligands of GPCRs include vasopressin, oxytocin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, GnRH, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, parathyroid hormone, orexins, urotensin II, endorphins, enkephalins, and many others.

(Bioactive Peptide Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

Nicotine's CNS-stimulating activities may be mediated through the release of several neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine, beta-endorphin, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and ACTH.

(Nicotine, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, as an inhibitor of enkephalinase, which metabolizes endorphins, D-phenylalanine may be used to treat chronic pain through blocking the break down of endorphins (natural pain killers).

(D-Phenylalanine, NCI Thesaurus)

Paradoxically, these leukocytes, in addition to releasing algogenic chemicals, are capable of producing endogenous opioid peptides (such as endorphins).

(Scientists make white blood cells to alleviate pain, instead of producing it, during tissue inflammation, University of Granada)

A small, irregularly stellate, acidophilic cell of the adenohypophysis, having small, sparsely distributed secretory granules and secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone and b-endorphin, which are cleaved from a large prohormone called pro-opiomelanocortin.

(Corticotroph Cell, NCI Thesaurus)