A transient rise in plasma beta-endorphin after a traditional 47 degrees C hot-spring bath in Kusatsu-spa, Japan. |
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Authors: | K Kubota H Kurabayashi K Tamura E Kawada J Tamura T Shirakura |
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Affiliation: | Department of Medicine, Kusatsu Branch Hospital, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan. |
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Abstract: | To clarify the mechanism of the intoxicating feeling attained after a traditional 47 degrees C hot-spring bath called 'jikan-yu' in Kusatsu-spa, Japan, we examined the change in plasma levels of beta-endorphin and methionine enkephalin in 7 healthy subjects. The mean sublingual temperature rose from 36.8 degrees C to 38.6 degrees C and the plasma beta-endorphin level from 16.2 pg/ml to 49.5 pg/ml 2 minutes after completing a 3-minute bath in 47 degrees C hot-spring water. However, the plasma methionine enkephalin level was not changed. This feeling of intoxication may be explained by the transient rise in plasma beta-endorphin level. |
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