Response of Plasma beta-Endorphins to Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Healthy Subjects

Abstract

A study of 31 healthy volunteers was done to test the hypothesis that analgesia produced by low frequency/high intensity (LoF/Hil) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is mediated by release of beta-endorphin (beta-E). After randomization, Group 1 (n = 10) received no stimulation (placebo); Group 2 (n = 9) received 30 minutes of high frequency/low intensity (HiF/Lol) TENS; and Group 3 (n = 12) received 30 minutes of low frequency/high density (LoF/Hil) TENS. Blood pressure, pulse, plasma beta-E levels, and evoked potential response were measured before and after treatment. Mean plasma beta-E increased with treatment in Groups 2 and 3 and fell in Group 1, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. Sixty-seven percent of Groups 2 and 3 showed an increase in plasma beta-E levels compared with 30 percent in Group 1 (two-sample test of proportions, p less than .05). Evoked potential response, a measure of pain threshold, varied directly with plasma beta-E level independent of the type of treatment applied. This study did not demonstrate a difference between the effects of HiF/Lol versus Lof/Hil TENS on plasma beta-E in healthy subjects.

Effects of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation on the imbalance of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells following thoracotomy of patients with lung cancer

“…First, a long duration of acupoint stimulation has been associated with enhanced patient discomfort, whereas a stimulation time that was too short had unclear therapeutic effects (30). In addition, low frequency-TAES triggered µ-and δ-opioid receptors, and β-endorphin production, whereas high frequency (100 Hz) stimulation was demonstrated to stimulate the κ-opioid receptor and resulted in the release of dynorphin (31,32).…”

Increased Release of Serotonin in the Spinal Cord During Low, But Not High, Frequency Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Rats With Joint Inflammation

“…4,5 In parallel, opioid peptides are released in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma in humans in response to either low-or high-frequency TENS in a frequencydependent manner. [21][22][23] Increases in β-endorphin occur in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma in response to both low-and high-frequency stimulation. 22,23 Han et al 21 show increases in the cerebrospinal fluid methionine (met)-enkephalin-Arg-Phe with low-frequency TENS and increases in dynorphin A with high-frequency TENS.…”

“…[21][22][23] Increases in β-endorphin occur in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma in response to both low-and high-frequency stimulation. 22,23 Han et al 21 show increases in the cerebrospinal fluid methionine (met)-enkephalin-Arg-Phe with low-frequency TENS and increases in dynorphin A with high-frequency TENS. Surface electrodes were applied to the hand, leg, and abdomen over acupuncture points and stimulation was applied with pulse widths of 300μs at a motor intensity.…”

Effect of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) on hormones profile in subjects with primary dysmenorrhoea - a preliminary study

“…The ability of high-frequency TENS to achieve this reduction in pain level may be explained by its effect on the opioidmodulating analgesia system (OMAS). The application of TENS stimulates the release of endogenous opiates (like B-endorphin) which produce analgesia (Hughes et al, 1984). Apart from modulating pain, B-endorphins also exhibit a close relationship with cortisol and prolactin (Dent et al, 1981;Plosker et al, 1990).…”