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)

There is current controversy over the mechanisms underlying hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity in depression. Pro-gamma-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), a portion of the N-terminal region of pro-opiomelanocortin, has been shown to act synergistically with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in stimulating corticosteroid secretion both in vitro and in vivo. Pro-gamma-MSH and ACTH plasma levels were measured in 30 drug-free male patients with a DSM-IIIR major depressive disorder and 21 healthy controls. The baseline levels were similar in the two groups. After single-dose metyrapone stimulation, both hormones increased, but pro-gamma-MSH was significantly higher in control subjects than in depressives. After overnight 1-mg dexamethasone, ACTH was significantly less suppressed in depressives than controls. These results suggest that HPA axis dysregulation in depression may involve peptides other than ACTH and be more complex than previously reported.
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PMID:Effects of metyrapone and dexamethasone upon pro-gamma-MSH plasma levels in depressed patients and healthy controls. 217 Apr 84

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, and the availability of L-tryptophan (L-TRP) to the brain were studied in their relationships to (1) 14 depressive symptoms measured by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R--Patient Version (SCID) and (2) the cluster-analytically generated vital/nonvital classes. The following biological parameters were measured in 100 depressed females: free thyroxine (FT4), baseline thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), predexamethasone and postdexamethasone cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) values, the circulating levels of total L-TRP, and the L-TRP/sum of competing amino acids ratio. We found that the psychopathological correlates of disorders in the HPA/HPT axis and of a decreased availability of L-TRP were vital symptoms, i.e., distinct quality of mood, nonreactivity, early morning awakening, anorexia-weight loss, and psychomotor disorders. There was no significant relationship between those biological markers and the nonvital symptoms of the SCID inventory for depressive symptoms. However, we did not validate our SCID clustering in vital and nonvital classes by qualitative differences in the biological variables. It was concluded that our nonvital/vital clusters should be regarded as continuous categories with regard to the biological markers studied; these clusters constitute relevant stages in the continuum of progressing biological dysfunction.
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PMID:Clinical subtypes of unipolar depression: Part III. Quantitative differences in various biological markers between the cluster-analytically generated nonvital and vital depression classes. 217 96

1. The plasma levels of L-tryptophan (L-TRP) and the sum of five competing amino acids (CAA) namely tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, were determined in 79 depressed females categorized according to the DSM-III. 2. In these patients the authors measured several parameters known to affect the availability of the above amino acids, i.e. triidothyronine (FT3) and thyroxine (FT4), vanilylmandelic acid (VMA), noradrenaline and adrenaline in 24 hr urine, the sex hormonal and nutritional state. 3. The 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test was performed and the pre and postdexamethasone cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels were determined at 8 a.m. 4. L-TRP and the ratio L-TRP/CAA were significantly lower in severely depressed females (296.X3, 296.X4) as compared with minor (300.40, 309.00) and simple major depressives (296.X2). The ratio L-TRP/CAA performed well as a clinical tool separating melancholic from minor depression. 5. FT3, FT4, VMA and noradrenaline were significantly increased in the severely depressed females, but these data did not correlate with the availability of L-TRP. Neither baseline cortisol nor the sex hormonal, nor the nutritional state related to the L-TRP data. The ratio L-TRP/CAA was significantly and negatively correlated with the postdexamethasone cortisol and ACTH values.
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PMID:The decreased availability of L-tryptophan in depressed females: clinical and biological correlates. 217 60

Cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (CSF BLI) was determined for 69 patients who met DSM-III criteria for delirium and for 8 controls. The CSF BLI was significantly lower in the delirious patient group than in the controls (12.5 +/- 3.0 pg/ml versus 15.0 +/- 3.4 pg/ml, p less than 0.05). CSF BLI had no correlation with age or neuroleptic drug dosage, but did have a significant positive correlation with cognitive functioning as evaluated by the Mini-Mental State. Our findings suggest a role for beta-endorphinergic dysfunction in the development of delirium.
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PMID:CSF beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in delirium. 252 20

To investigate the relationships between dexamethasone (DEX) and post-DEX cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels, the authors measured DEX at 8.00 a.m. and post-DEX cortisol and ACTH levels at 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. in 72 depressed patients categorized according to DSM-III. Cortisol non-suppressors exhibited significantly (P = 0.0006) decreased levels of DEX compared to suppressors. DEX levels at 8.00 a.m. explained 21.1% of the variance in the post-DEX cortisol values at 8.00 a.m. and 34.5% of those at 4.00 p.m. DEX levels were not significantly different among minor depressives (300.40, 309.00), major depressives without melancholia (296.X2) or with melancholia and/or psychotic features (296.X3, 296.X4). In the latter the post-DEX cortisol was significantly increased compared to all other depressives and these differences remained significant even after adjusting for the variations in DEX (by means of regression analysis). Also the diagnostic performance of the post-DEX cortisol values for major depression with associated features versus minor depression was not substantially affected when the DEX levels were accounted for. ACTH levels after DEX were shown to correlate significantly (P less than 0.05) and negatively with DEX. Although post-DEX ACTH levels did not differ among the DSM-III diagnostic categories, cortisol non-suppressors averaged significantly (P = 0.0004) higher ACTH levels than suppressors.
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PMID:The influences of dexamethasone levels on the predictive value of the DST for unipolar major depression and the relationships between post-dexamethasone cortisol and ACTH levels. 254 36

Bulimia nervosa has been recently identified. DSM III-R gives more restrictive criteria for the trouble than DSM III. One may doubt it allows to better understand the probable psychopathological heterogeneity of this eating disorder. Biological indexes up to now only led to partial results. Their interpretation is made more difficult because of the small size of the samples of patients, studied in conditions which are often ill-defined. The biological parameters which are investigated are similar to those studied in depression: monoamines, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, Growth Hormone, prolactin , melatonin, beta-endorphin, EEG mapping. Antidepressants and anticonvulsants remain the most often mentioned drugs. Tryptophane, lithium, opiate antagonists, amphetamines, serotoninergic drugs are currently being studied.
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PMID:[Bulimic behaviors. Clinical, biochemical, pharmacologic data]. 266 2

A subgroup of patients with personality disorders from the DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association 1987) "flamboyant" cluster is characterized by repetitive self-injurious behavior (SIB) apparently not motivated by suicidal intent. After describing the clinical and demographic characteristics of these patients, the clinical and preclinical evidence suggesting the involvement of endogenous opiate systems in this behavior is reviewed. Patients with personality disorders and SIB have been found to have elevated levels of plasma beta-endorphin. However, the available evidence is not sufficient to show whether this is a cause of or a consequence of SIB. Behavioral stereotypies resulting in self-injury in animals and SIB in mentally retarded patients have been shown to be abolished by opiate antagonist administration in a significant proportion of both groups. The available evidence suggests that clinical trials of oral opiate antagonist drugs should be undertaken because of the promise such drugs have in the treatment of this sometimes life-threatening disorder.
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PMID:Rationale for clinical trials of opiate antagonists in treating patients with personality disorders and self-injurious behavior. 269 84

The pathophysiology behind the abnormalities of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal cortex axis found in patients with major depressive disorder was studied by the use of the vasopressin test. The response of plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol to the injection of 10 IU lysine-vasopressin (LVP) was investigated in 18 patients meeting the DSM-III criteria for major depressive episode. The response was correlated to the outcome of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) with the use of two different cut-off points, 139 nmol/l and 200 nmol/l respectively. The results show that no significant difference was found in ACTH or cortisol response between patients having a normal or abnormal DST. The results do not seem to support the hypothesis that the abnormalities of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal cortex axis involve a hypersecretion of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and a subsequent desensitization of the corticotrophs to CRF-stimulated ACTH release.
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PMID:Adrenocorticotropin and cortisol response to lysine vasopressin in relation to the outcome of the dexamethasone suppression test in major depressive disorder. 283 10

The hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis responds to a variety of physical and emotional stimuli with increased output of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, yet there is little known about the activity of this system during episodes of severe anxiety in patients with DSM-III-defined anxiety disorders. To explore further whether alterations of the HPA axis occur during various anxiety states, we measured ACTH and cortisol during lactate infusion in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. In eight patients who panicked during lactate infusion, there were no elevations in either ACTH or cortisol. Further, the patterns of hormone secretion did not differ among patients who panicked, nonpanicking patients, or controls. This negative result suggests that the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate panic differ from those responsible for other fear responses.
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PMID:Pituitary adrenocortical unresponsiveness in lactate-induced panic. 303 79

Des-tyrosine-gamma-endorphin (DT gamma E) has been reported to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia. Attempting to replicate those reports, we administered 1 mg of DT gamma E, i.m., for 8 consecutive days to nine patients meeting the DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia. Patients in this double-blind, crossover, and placebo-controlled study showed a statistically significant, but clinically modest improvement. The improvement was detectable during the first several days of the DT gamma E treatment; the symptoms then returned to baseline level in spite of continued doses of DT gamma E. Testing the metabolism of DT gamma E in the patients' plasma, we found a high rate of formation and of degradation, but the metabolic rates were not related to clinical symptoms.
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PMID:Short-lived effect of (Des-Tyr)-gamma-endorphin in schizophrenia. 658 15


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