Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have previously demonstrated that single-dose ethanol administration enhanced plasma levels of ACTH, beta-endorphin, corticosterone (CS) and catecholamines. Since the secretion of proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides (e.g., ACTH, beta-endorphin) can be influenced by catecholamines and vasopressin in addition to the primary physiological regulator, corticotrophin-releasing hormone, we have attempted to determine whether or not the ethanol-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) could in part be mediated via either epinephrine or vasopressin (AVP) secretion. The selective neutralization of AVP through the administration of AVP antiserum failed to block the ethanol-induced secretion of either ACTH or CS. In addition, adrenal demedullation did not significantly attenuate the ethanol-induced increase of ACTH and CS. It would appear that neither adrenal medulla-derived epinephrine nor median eminence-derived AVP mediates ethanol's activation of the HPAA.
Adv Alcohol Subst Abuse 1988
PMID:Acute effect of intragastric ethanol administration on plasma levels of stress hormones. 285 31

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction has been reported to be involved in vulnerability to alcohol and drug dependence in humans, possibly underlying both addictive behaviour and depression susceptibility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible interactions between childhood adverse experiences, depressive symptoms and HPA axis function in addicted patients, in comparison with healthy control. Eighty-two abstinent heroin or cocaine dependent patients and 44 normal controls, matched for age and sex, completed the symptoms Check List-90 (SCL-90), measuring depressive symptoms, and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to determine adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol basal plasma levels at 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. Addicted individuals showed significantly higher neglect and depression scores and ACTH-cortisol plasma levels respect to control subjects. Depression scores at SCL-90 in addicted patients positively correlated with plasma ACTH and cortisol values. In turn, plasma ACTH levels were directly associated with childhood neglect measures, reaching statistical significance with 'mother-neglect' scores. Plasma cortisol levels were related to 'father antipathy' among cocaine addicts. These findings suggest the possibility that childhood experience of neglect and poor parent-child attachment may have a persistent effect on HPA axis function as an adult, partially contributing, together with genetic factors and other environmental conditions, to both depressive traits and substance abuse neurobiological vulnerability.
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PMID:Adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol plasma levels directly correlate with childhood neglect and depression measures in addicted patients. 1820 Dec 94