European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health natural painkiller linked to pregnancy byway Teyoung United press International pregnant women May produce a natural morphine like painkiller in their spinal cords Lolesser the pain of giving birth s recent study on rats suggests. The painkiller produced throughout pregnancy in increasing quantities May make women Between 30 percent and 50 percent More tolerant of All types of pain than they Are normally researchers said. Studies have shown pregnant women have a higher to Crenco a higher pain threshold said Alavi Gin Lilar associate professor of biochemistry at the stale University of new York health science Center in Brooklyn to were Able to ind entity the chemical class of painkiller and pinpoint where it was occurring in the spinal Cord he said. Researchers Al the school said studies indicate ail mammals appear to have the same natural ability to reduce pain during pregnancy and said it is probably an evolutionary device to ensure the continuation of i heir species mammals probably would not he Able to procreate As often As they do if the pain of giving birth were life threatening they Sud a Inezier said previous studies had shown pregnant mammals including women have 3 higher Inan Normal amount of natural painkillers called endorphins in their blood. But he said researchers were unsure where the in Dorphus were manufactured in the body and did not know if they were produced normally in mammals that were not pregnant the new York rest archers conducted a nones of experiments on pregnant and non pregnant rats first showing that pregnant fats required a higher current of electricity before pulling their paws from a Shock pad than did rals that were not pregnant. Girl Ferand his colleagues then injected the spinal columns of pregnant rats Wilh the drug Nal Trevone which is known to Block the natural pain killing effects of endorphins. After the injections the pregnant rats returned to the same pain threshold As exhibited by both male and non pregnant female rals he said. Winteler said the Experiment indicated endorphins were Active in the spinal cords of pregnant mammals. We Don t know Lor sure when endorphins Start being released he said. Tho activation is probably gradual and increases As the pregnancy continues. The biggest change occurs shortly before Tabor he said non pregnant fats also received injections of Nalter Jyono. But indy exhibited no change in their ability to tolerate poin indicating animals Ron t Normal to e