Why Painkillers Do Not Work on Pancreatic Diseases

    

    

Doctors newspaper online, 04.10.2019

    

        
        
        

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analgesics resistance

MUNICH. Pain in the pancreas is difficult to treat, as many analgesics do not work. Researchers have now found out why: An endogenous neurotransmitter is present in the nerves of the organ in very high concentrations, reports the Technische Universität München (TUM).

The team around Privatdozent Dr. Dr. Ihsan Ekin Demir examined tissue samples from the pancreatic head of 42 patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma ( EBioMedicine 2019; 46: 431-443 ).

In this area the nerve density is particularly high. Tissue donations from healthy persons served as controls. The scientists determined the amount of the most important neurotransmitters acting there.

pain messenger profile created

"We have virtually created a pain messenger profile for this area of ​​the pancreas, which plays a crucial role in pain development and perception. This is how pathological changes can be identified well, "Ekin Demir is quoted in the TUM release.

It turned out that the nitric oxide synthetase (nNOS) in the nerves of the examined tissue of the patients was greatly increased. The enzyme is responsible for the production of the messenger substance NO, which plays a role in the development of pain, among other things.

In particular, NO leads to overactivation of nerve cells via binding to its receptors on the neuronal surface. When the team added extracts from the patient samples to nerve cell cultures, the amount of the enzyme nNOS increased in the nerve cells.

Active ingredient is still being tested

In a mouse model of pancreatic disease, they then used a specific inhibitor that blocks nNOS. This substance is already approved experimentally, but may not yet be used in humans, it continues in the TUM release.

The team found that mice receiving the drug were less sensitive to touch in the affected abdominal area than the control animals.

The team now wants to continue testing the new compound to be able to use it as an alternative pain therapy for patients with pancreatic disease in the future. (eb)

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