UNIPROT:P01189 - FACTA Search

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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Lurcher mutant mice which are mainly known for their cerebellar degeneration, also display a hyperinducibility of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1alpha and beta (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), in peripheral macrophages. To assess whether this increased responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli is accompanied by a higher pituitary-adrenal response, we compared the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone response of Lc and wild-type mice to intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of a cytokine inducer, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Lurcher mice display resting levels of ACTH and corticosterone similar to those of wild-type mice. LPS (1.25 microg/g) induces a corticosterone surge 2-fold higher in Lurcher than in wild-type mice. By contrast, the response to IL-1alpha (10 ng/g, i.p.) is similar in both genotypes, suggesting that a differential reactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis to IL-1 does not account for the higher reactivity of Lurcher mice to LPS. To test whether the increased responsiveness of the pituitary-adrenal axis of Lurcher mice generalizes accross stressors, mice were exposed to a novel environment. This condition also induced a surge of ACTH and corticosterone 3.5- and 2-fold higher in Lurcher than in wild-type mice. Prior blockade of IL-1 receptors by injection of IL-1 receptor antagonist (10 microg/g, i.p.) failed to block the response to LPS injection and exposure to novelty. In contrast, immunoneutralization of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) significantly attenuated the ACTH surge and abrogated the difference between Lurcher and wild-type mice in their responses to a novel environment, suggesting that hypothalamic CRH neurons are involved in this excessive response.
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PMID:Enhanced endocrine response to novel environment stress and endotoxin in Lurcher mutant mice. 938 53

Immune neuroendocrine interactions are vital for the individual's survival in certain physiopathological conditions, such as sepsis and tissular injury. It is known that several animal venoms, such as those from different snakes, are potent neurotoxic compounds and that their main component is a specific phospholipase A type 2 (PLA2). It has been described recently that the venom from Crotalus durissus terrificus [snake venom (SV), in the present study] possesses some cytotoxic effect in different in vitro and in vivo animal models. In the present study, we investigated whether SV and its main component, PLA2 (obtained from the same source), are able to stimulate both immune and neuroendocrine functions in mice, thus characterizing this type of neurotoxic shock. For this purpose, several in vivo and in vitro designs were used to further determine the sites of action of SV-PLA2 on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and on the release of the pathognomonic cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), of different types of inflammatory stress. Our results indicate that SV (25 microg/animal) and PLA2 (5 microg/animal), from the same origin, stimulate the HPA and immune axes when administered (i.p.) to adult mice; both preparations were able to enhance plasma glucose, ACTH, corticosterone (B), and TNF alpha plasma levels in a time-related fashion. SV was found to activate CRH- and arginine vasopressin-ergic functions in vivo and, in vitro, SV and PLA2 induced a concentration-related (0.05-10 microg/ml) effect on the release of both neuropeptides. SV also was effective in changing anterior pituitary ACTH and adrenal B contents, also in a time-dependent fashion. Direct effects of SV and PLA2 on anterior pituitary ACTH secretion also were found to function in a concentration-related fashion (0.001-1 microg/ml), and the direct corticotropin-releasing activity of PLA2 was additive to those of CRH and arginine vasopressin; the corticotropin-releasing activity of both SV and PLA2 were partially reversed by the specific PLA2 inhibitor, manoalide. On the other hand, neither preparation was able to directly modify spontaneous and ACTH-stimulated adrenal B output. The stimulatory effect of SV and PLA2 on in vivo TNF alpha release was confirmed by in vitro experiments on peripheral mononuclear cells; in fact, both PLA2 (0.001-1 microg/ml) and SV (0.1-10 microg/ml), as well as concavalin A (1-100 microg/ml), were able to stimulate TNF alpha output in the incubation medium. Our results clearly indicate that PLA2-dependent mechanisms are responsible for several symptoms of inflammatory stress induced during neurotoxemia. In fact, we found that this particular PLA2-related SV is able to stimulate both HPA axis and immune functions during the acute phase response of the inflammatory processes.
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PMID:A phospholipase A2-related snake venom (from Crotalus durissus terrificus) stimulates neuroendocrine and immune functions: determination of different sites of action. 944 33

It is well established that the functional state of sebaceous glands in vivo is a tightly regulated process orchestrated through the interaction of male sex hormones and functional androgen receptors expressed on sebocytes. In the last few years, however, it has become increasingly apparent that sebocytes like epidermal keratinocytes express a variety of cytokines which are implicated in inflammatory and immune responses. For example, sebocytes in vivo have been found to highly express tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) as determined by immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic methods. Moreover, certain neuropeptides including vascular intestinal peptide and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides as well as their receptors have been localized within the pilosebaceous unit of murine and human skin. Since POMC peptides such as alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone have recently been shown to exert important immunoregulatory effects by antagonizing the function of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g interleukin 1, interleukin 6 and TNF-alpha), induction of immunosuppressive cytokines (like interleukin 10), modulation of costimulatory molecule expression (e.g. B7-2) or suppression of macrophage-derived nitric oxide, complex interactions between these mediators and their target cells within the pilosebaceous gland seem to exist. The successful cultivation of sebocytes will provide a model by which the effect of these mediators can be studied in detail in order to shed light onto the various pathophysiological conditions of sebaceous glands.
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PMID:The pilosebaceous unit is part of the skin immune system. 955 33

Inflammatory processes contribute to neurodegenerative disease, stroke, encephalitis, and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Activated microglia are a source of cytokines and other inflammatory agents within the CNS and it is therefore important to control glial function in order to preserve neural cells. Melanocortin peptides are pro-opiomelanocortin-derived amino acid sequences that include alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). These peptides have potent and broad anti-inflammatory effects. We tested effects of alpha-MSH (1-13), alpha-MSH (11-13), and ACTH (1-24) on production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO) in a cultured murine microglial cell line (N9) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon gamma (IFN-gamma). Melanocortin peptides inhibited production of these cytokines and NO in a concentration-related fashion, probably by increasing intracellular cAMP. When stimulated with LPS + IFN-gamma, microglia increased release of alpha-MSH. Production of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and NO was greater in activated microglia after innmunoneutralization of endogenous alpha-MSH. The results suggest that alpha-MSH is an autocrine factor in microglia. Because melanocortin peptides inhibit production of pro-inflammatory mediators by activated microglia they might be useful in treatment of inflammatory/degenerative brain disorders.
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PMID:Melanocortin peptides inhibit production of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide by activated microglia. 962 Jun 67

The neuropeptide, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is well known for its immunomodulating capabilities. alpha-MSH antagonizes the activity of numerous proinflammatory mediators; for example, Interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and bacterial endotoxin. In vivo alpha-MSH has been shown to suppress a contact hypersensitivity reaction in mice, and to induce hapten-specific tolerance. Since antigen presenting cells (APC) represent key elements for tolerance induction, the effect of alpha-MSH, and the expression of its receptor-melanocortin receptor-1 (MC-1R), on human peripheral blood-derived monocytes and dendritic cells (DC), was investigated. Semiquantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that monocytes and DC express MC-1R, but none of the other members of the MC-receptor family. Moreover, the extent of MC-1R expression correlated with the state of activation of these cells. Since the major ligand of MC-1R is alpha-MSH the question of whether alpha-MSH affects the function of monocyte derived DC was further investigated. We found that the expression of the costimulatory molecules CD 86 and CD 40 was downregulated on DC in the presence of alpha-MSH. Thus, alpha-MSH may exert its immunosuppressive effects by altering the function of APC.
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PMID:Human peripheral blood-derived dendritic cells express functional melanocortin receptor MC-1R. 1081 52

We have previously shown that alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) can oppose tumor necrosis factor alpha activation of NF-kappaB (1-2 h) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 up-regulation (mRNA by 3 h and protein by 24 h) in melanocytes and melanoma cells. The present study reports on the ability of four MSH peptides to control intracellular peroxide levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in pigmentary and nonpigmentary cells. In human HBL melanoma and HaCaT keratinocytes tumor necrosis factor alpha and H(2)O(2) both activated GPx in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (by 30-45 min). alpha-MSH peptides were found to inhibit the stimulated GPx activity and had biphasic dose-response curves. MSH 1-13 and MSH [Nle(4)-d-Phe(7)] achieved maximum inhibition at 10(-10) and 10(-12) m, respectively. Higher concentrations (10-100 fold) of MSH 4-10 and MSH 11-13 were required to produce equivalent levels of inhibition. alpha-MSH was also capable of reducing peroxide accumulation within 15 min, and again this inhibition was biphasic. The data support a role of alpha-MSH in acute protection of cells to oxidative/cytokine action that precedes NF-kappaB and GPx activation. The rapidity and potency of the response to alpha-MSH in pigmentary and nonpigmentary cells suggest this to be a central role of this peptide in cutaneous cells.
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PMID:Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone reduces impact of proinflammatory cytokine and peroxide-generated oxidative stress on keratinocyte and melanoma cell lines. 1082 44

It is well recognized that the reciprocal interaction established between the immune and neuroendocrine systems is crucial for the homeostatic adaptation of individuals during septicemia. In the present study, using an in vivo rat model, we investigated the degree of participation of central and peripheral epinergic systems in the modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and immune axes' functions during endotoxemia. For this purpose, acute endotoxemia was induced in adult male rats pretreated intraperitoneally with either different inhibitors of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) [which are active either peripherally (SKF 29661) or both peripherally and centrally (SKF 64139), thus lowering epinephrine (EPI) synthesis] or vehicle only (CTRL). Twelve hours after pretreatment, animals were intraperitoneally injected with vehicle alone (basal) or vehicle containing bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and sacrificed 2 h later. A significant (p < 0.05 vs. the respective basal value) hypoglycemia was found in all groups studied. No pretreatment modified basal plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), glucocorticoid and cytokine concentrations. Endotoxin-stimulated ACTH secretion was severalfold (p < 0.05) higher than the respective basal value in CTRL and in SKFs-pretreated rats; however, the plasma ACTH levels after LPS were significantly (p < 0.05 vs. CTRL and SKF-29661 values) reduced in SKF-64139-pretreated rats. All groups studied showed an appropriate adrenal response to endotoxin challenge. Although no differences were found in basal anterior pituitary (AP) ACTH content among groups, LPS treatment significantly (p < 0.05 versus the respective basal value) decreased AP ACTH in CTRL and SKF 29661 groups. No pretreatment modified the basal medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) content. Conversely, SKF 64139 pretreatment significantly (p < 0.05 vs. CTRL and SKF 29661 values) reduced basal median eminence (ME) CRH content, and LPS administration significantly (p < 0.05) decreased ME CRH in CTRL and SKF-29661-pretreated rats. SKF 64139 pretreatment significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced basal MBH and ME arginine vasopressin (AVP) contents. LPS administration significantly (p < 0.05) decreased MBH AVP in CTRL and SKF-29661-pretreated rats and diminished (p < 0.05 vs. basal values) ME AVP in all groups. The plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) concentrations were enhanced severalfold (p < 0.05 vs. basal values) after LPS treatment in CTRL rats, but not in SKFs-treated animals. In order to explore the reduced cytokine release after LPS in PNMT-inhibited rats, additional ex vivo experiments were performed by using peripheral mononuclear cells (PMNC) from both CTRL and SKF-29661-pretreated rats. The results of these experiments confirmed an immune dysfunction after inhibition of peripheral EPI synthesis; in fact, basal and concanavalin-A-stimulated TNFalpha secretions were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in SKF-29661-treated than in CTRL PMNC, while, interestingly, addition of EPI (10(-7) M) to the medium fully restored these effects. These data demonstrate that: (1) the mechanism whereby LPS-induced hypoglycemia was independent of epinergic activity; (2) selective central inhibition of epinergic function reduced endotoxin-stimulated ACTH secretion, an effect that could mainly be due to a decrease in CRH-ergic activity; (3) the central epinergic system positively and negatively modulates CRH- and AVPergic functions, respectively, and (4) inhibition of peripheral PNMT activity reduced immune system function in vivo and ex vivo. It is further suggested that low peripheral levels of EPI could be beneficial for the body's defense mechanisms during endotoxic shock.
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PMID:Modulatory role of the epinergic system in the neuroendocrine-immune system function. 1096 35

Thalidomide reduces thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in chronic constrictive sciatic nerve injury (CCI). Since thalidomide mainly inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) synthesis with less well defined effects on other cytokines, we investigated the effect of the drug on the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the lesioned rat sciatic nerve. The increase of endoneurial TNF-alpha during the first week after CCI was reduced after thalidomide treatment, as shown with immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay. In contrast, endoneurial IL-1beta-immunoreactivity (IR) and IL-6-IR were not altered by thalidomide treatment, nor was macrophage influx. Recruitment of epineurial IL-10 immunoreactive macrophages as well as the recovery of injury-induced depletion of endoneurial IL-10-IR was enhanced by thalidomide treatment. To control for central plasticity as another factor for the effects of thalidomide, the spinal cord was analyzed for changes in neurotransmitters. The decrease in CGRP-IR and SP-IR in the dorsal horn of operated animals was not influenced by treatment. In contrast, the increase in met-enkephalin observed in the dorsal horn of operated animals was further enhanced in the thalidomide-treated animals. The study elucidates some of the complex alterations in CCI and its modulation by thalidomide, and provides further evidence for a possible therapeutic benefit of cytokine-modulating substances in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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PMID:Thalidomide treatment in chronic constrictive neuropathy decreases endoneurial tumor necrosis factor-alpha, increases interleukin-10 and has long-term effects on spinal cord dorsal horn met-enkephalin. 1106 14

The hypothalmus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system communicate at multiple levels: On the one hand, immune system-derived substances, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and leukemia inhibitory factor can stimulate the HPA axis. On the other hand, HPA axis-derived substances, most importantly glucocorticoids, can modulate the immune response. Furthermore, factors that were originally thought to be restricted to the HPA axis have been found to be expressed by immune cells. Proteins belonging to the CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) family represent important examples of such hormones. In the early 1990s, it was shown that immunoreactive CRH was present at sites of chemically induced inflammation. Administration of anti-CRH antibodies reduced the degree of inflammation, pointing to a pro-inflammatory role of "peripheral" CRH. We and others could show that lymphocytes are one source of immunoreactive CRH; however, the antiserum used in our study as well as in previous reports crossreacted with urocortin, a newly discovered member of the CRH family. Using RT-PCR, we could clearly demonstrate that human lymphocytes expressed urocortin but not CRH mRNA. These results were confirmed by immunocytochemistry, employing urocortin- and CRH-specific antibodies, respectively. The possible functional roles of urocortin expression in the immune system are discussed.
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PMID:The peripheral CRH/urocortin system. 1126 56

Preliminary experiments indicated that target cells were resistant to glucocorticoid (GC) after pathological stress. This study was designed to investigate the alterations in plasma corticosterone level and GC receptor (GR) of liver cytosols, to assess the relative inflammatory cytokines contribution to GC resistant, and to observe the action of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) on the potential implications of glucocorticord regulatory effects in burned rats. Male Wistar rats (weight range, 180-200g) received a 35% total body surface area immersion scald and were randomly divided to receive either tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), polyclonal antibody (pAb), alpha-MSH, Ac-D-Lys-L-Pro-D-Val (KPV peptide), or saline (control). The binding capacity (Rt) of the steroid-binding sites was measured by radioligand binding assay, using [3H]dexamethasone as the ligand. We examined plasma levels of IL-1beta, TNFalpha, IL-10, and corticosterone following scald challenge in rats. The Rt of GR (208.45+/-30.78fmol/mg of protein) in hepatic cytosol in rats, 12h later the scald was significantly lower than that (306.71+/-27.96fmol/mg of protein) of the control group (P<0.01). The injections of anti-rat TNFalpha (257.80+/-12.82fmol/mg of protein), IL-1beta antibody (254.46+/-21.21fmol/mg of protein), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (278.32+/-7.76fmol/mg of protein) and KPV peptide (263.46+/-17.46fmol/mg of protein) might prevent the Rt of GR from decreasing in hepatic cytosols of rats with scald, respectively (all of P<0.05) in vivo. Scald-induced robust increases in plasma IL-1beta (214.08+/-27.25pg/ml), TNFalpha (111.18+/-23.97pg/ml), IL-10 (177.50+/-15.79pg/ml) and corticosterone (2680+/-443.23ng/ml) levels after 12h. The administration of TNFalpha, IL-1beta pAb, alpha-MSH and KPV might attenuate these increases. These studies suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in downregulation of GRs and thus alpha-MSH and KPV might increase the level of GR in rats with immersion scald.
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PMID:Downregulation of glucocorticoid receptors of liver cytosols and the role of the inflammatory cytokines in pathological stress in scalded rats. 1205 69

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