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)

Cells of the immune system produce biologically active adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Many laboratories, however, have been unable to replicate experiments which demonstrate ACTH in immune cells. Sensitive immunohistochemical staining and digital scanning, confocal microscopy were used to study regulation of ACTH-like immunoreactivity (ACTH-IR) in human mononuclear cells. Cytoplasmic ACTH-IR was induced by corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF)/arginine vasopressin (AVP), and also by protein kinase C (PKC) activation and by the interferon (IFN-alpha beta inducer, Na-polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyIC). Induction of cytoplasmic ACTH-IR was maximal within 6 hr of stimulation with CRF/AVP or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (rhIL-1 beta) was also stimulatory, but rhIL-1 alpha had minimal effect. Regulation of ACTH-IR production in immune cells parallels the regulation of ACTH in the anterior pituitary, and ACTH-like material may affect immune responses.
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PMID:Regulation of production of adrenocorticotropin-like proteins in human mononuclear cells. 133 62

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interferon alpha (IFN alpha), cytokines originally detected in immunological cells, now have been shown to produce nonimmunological host defense responses of central and peripheral origins. These cytokines are released from glial cells in the brain in pathological states. Local application of IL-1 beta and IFN alpha to thermosensitive neurons in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamus and glucose responsive neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus in vivo and in vitro, altered the activity in appropriate ways to explain the cytokines-induced fever and anorexia, respectively. The responses to IL-1 beta, but not to IFN alpha, were blocked by sodium salicylate, suggesting the involvement of synthesis of prostaglandins. alpha MSH, an endogenous antipyretic and a possible antagonist of IL-1 beta at lymphocytes, specifically depressed the responses to IL-1 beta, but not those to IFN alpha. In contrast, the action of IFN alpha was reversibly blocked by naloxone, suggesting the opioid receptor mediation. Intracerebral injection of IFN alpha and beta-endorphin in the rat and mouse resulted in the suppression of cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells in the spleen by activation of brain opioid receptor, which was shown to be mediated predominantly by splenic sympathetic nerves. The results suggest a view that immune cytokines may provide afferent links for the regulatory circuits between the brain and the immune system.
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PMID:Immune cytokines and regulation of body temperature, food intake and cellular immunity. 195 24

The levels of met-enkephalin (ME), beta-endorphin (BE), and alpha-interferon (a-IFN) have been determined in the human blood 1 day after dipyridamole administration. Dipyridamole led to an increase in serum a-IFN concentration up to 3 times, and to simultaneous rise of the lymphocytes ability to produce a-IFN. The content of BE did not depend on dipyridamole treatment, but ME level achieved 110 +/- 4.8 pg/ml (compare to 79.5 +/- 7.6 pg/ml in control). Positive interrelation has been found out between individual ME concentrations and lymphocyte abilities to a-IFN production with the coefficient of correlation equal to 0.69. The effect of dipyridamole on ME level is suggested to develop via a-IFN interaction with the opioid systems.
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PMID:[Blood levels of opioid peptides and alpha interferon under the action of dipyridamole]. 214 90

Endogenous opioids exert a variety of extra central nervous system (CNS) functions, including modulation of some human lymphocyte functions. The latter opioid activity may result in elevation of human natural killer (NK) function (i.e. by beta-endorphin), which is reversed by an opioid antagonist, Naloxone. Since recent evidence has suggested both structural and functional similarities between lymphokines known to elevate human NK function (interferon and interleukin-2) and endogenous opioids, we investigated if Naloxone could modulate lymphokine-enhanced human NK activity. Naloxone blunted, in a dose-dependent fashion, the NK-enhancing activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes or large granular lymphocytes by recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) or interleukin-2 (IL-2). Naloxone decreased the uptake of radiolabelled IL-2 receptors. beta-endorphin also decreased the binding of radiolabelled IL-2 or IL-2 receptor-positive human lymphocytes. Finally, labelled Naloxone was inhibited from binding to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocytes by either beta-endorphin or IL-2. These findings strongly suggest that human lymphocyte receptors for opioid, IFN or IL-2 molecules, once occupied, have distinct influences on the alternate receptor. In addition, these data further strengthen the potential role of CNS-mediated influences on the human immune system.
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PMID:Interaction between endogenous opioids and IL-2 on PHA-stimulated human lymphocytes. 239 65

The effects of IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma on the differentiation of murine melanoma cells has been studied, in the presence and absence of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH); the cells were highly responsive to treatment with MSH, which increased the rate of melanin production 25-fold and tyrosinase activity 6-fold within 4 d. Treatment of melanoma cells with IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, or IFN-gamma alone had no stimulatory effect on melanin production, but when the cells were cultured with IFN in the presence of MSH, pigment production was significantly and synergistically increased relative to cells cultured with MSH only. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that levels of tyrosinase in the cells were not affected by MSH or by IFN, which suggests that stimulation of melanogenic activity occurred by activation of a preexisting cellular enzyme. Scatchard analyses showed that the number of MSH receptors on IFN-treated cells was significantly increased (approximately 2.5-fold) relative to untreated cells (approximately 61,000/cell). These findings demonstrate that IFN stimulate differentiation (that is, pigmentation) of melanocytes by increasing the expression of surface MSH receptors; this in turn suggests that such a mechanism may in part be responsible for postinflammatory skin pigmentation, and provides an additional basis for action in the clinical responses of melanoma to IFN treatment.
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PMID:Interferons modulate the expression of hormone receptors on the surface of murine melanoma cells. 246 67

We examined the effect of 20 micrograms recombinant gamma-interferon (rec-gamma-IFN) upon corticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol secretion in 10 healthy male controls. We observed that rec-gamma-IFN enhances cortisol secretion with maxima around 3 hours after injection of the test dose. This effect was suppressible by a single dose of 1.5 mg dexamethasone and was not associated with increased ACTH secretion. Rec-gamma-IFN also failed to enhance ACTH secretion from a pituitary cell culture. From these data we conclude that rec-gamma-IFN acts on lymphoid cells which in turn release a yet unidentified substance that directly activates the adrenocortex in a feedback controlled manner.
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PMID:Acute adrenocortical stimulation by recombinant gamma interferon in human controls. 282 52

The binding of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to B16/C3 murine melanoma cells was found to be specific and saturable. The binding capacity of the cells changed as a function of the age of the culture. Scatchard analysis revealed one class of high-affinity ACTH binding sites. The specificity of ACTH binding to the cells was tested by displacement experiments with human leukocyte interferon (alpha-IFN) and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) as the competitors. Structure-activity relationship of ACTH, alpha-MSH and alpha-IFN was discussed.
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PMID:Adrenocorticotropin binding activity of B16/C3 melanoma cells. 285 10

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretory process was studied by evaluating secretion efficiency, processing efficiency, and the efficiency of protein folding for hybrid proteins containing the yeast prepro-alpha-factor leader region. Secretion of three proteins, beta-endorphin, calcitonin, and a consensus alpha-interferon (IFN-Con1), were compared in terms of secretion efficiency into the culture medium, beta-Endorphin and calcitonin, both small proteins, were found to be efficiently secreted from logarithmically grown cells. In contrast, the larger IFN-Con1 accumulated in the periplasmic space and cell wall. The glycosylated, unprocessed prepro-alpha-factor/IFN-Con1 fusion protein was also found to be secreted into the culture medium. The presence of (Glu-Ala) dipeptides in the alpha-factor spacer peptide increased the efficiency of cleavage at Lys-Arg in the prepro-alpha-factor/IFN-Con1 protein fusion. Purified secreted IFN-Con1 was structurally characterized to determine the effect of passage through the yeast secretory pathway on the fidelity and efficiency of protein folding. The disulfide structure of the secreted protein was found to be identical with that reported for the native human alpha-interferons.
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PMID:Protein secretion from Saccharomyces cerevisiae directed by the prepro-alpha-factor leader region. 300 32

Treatment of lymphocytes with inducers of interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) results in the production of corticotropin (ACTH) and endorphin-like activities. The pro-opiomelanocortin-derived hormones ACTH and alpha-, beta-, and gamma-endorphin and the structurally related hormones [Leu]- and [Met]enkephalin were therefore tested for their effects on the in vitro antibody response of mouse spleen cells. ACTH and alpha-endorphin were potent inhibitors (>/=80% suppression) of the antibody response to the T-cell-dependent antigen sheep erythrocytes at a concentration of 0.5 muM. [Met]- and [Leu]enkephalin were moderate inhibitors (approximately 60% suppression) at 0.2-2 muM, and beta- and gamma-endorphin were minimal inhibitors (approximately 20% suppression) at 5-6 muM. At higher concentrations ACTH also inhibited the antibody response to the T-cell-independent antigen dinitrophenyl-Ficoll, suggesting that T-cell function was more sensitive to blockage by these hormones than was B-cell function. ACTH and IFN had similar suppression properties; thus, the hormone-like activities associated with IFN-alpha may play a role in IFN-induced immunosuppression. alpha-Endorphin immunosuppression was blocked by naloxone, which suggested that alpha-endorphin exerted its effects through binding to opiate-like receptors on the spleen cells. The failure of beta-endorphin to suppress the immune response significantly was not due to its failure to bind to the opiate-like receptors because it blocked alpha-endorphin-induced suppression. Direct evidence for both opiate and ACTH receptors on the spleen cells was obtained in binding studies with labeled enkephalin and ACTH. Such studies revealed the presence of both high- and low-affinity receptors. The data show that neuroendocrine polypeptide hormones can regulate the immune response.
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PMID:Regulation of the in vitro antibody response by neuroendocrine hormones. 628 70

We have shown that corticotropin (ACTH), alpha-endorphin, and enkephalins can regulate antibody responses, which suggested a role for neuropeptides in a regulatory circuit between the immune and neuroendocrine systems. ACTH and structurally related peptides were examined here for regulation of mitogen induction of the lymphokine gamma-interferon (IFN gamma) in C57BL/6 mouse spleen cell cultures. Synthetic ACTH1-39 and a porcine pituitary extract containing ACTH activity were potent suppressors of the IFN gamma response. Synthetic ACTH1-39 suppressed the response by approximately 62% at 1 to 3 microM, whereas the porcine extract suppressed by greater than 90% at 1 to 3 microM ACTH. The greater potency of the pituitary extract was shown to be due to the presence of an additional peptide of Mr 2100 that was reactive with antibodies to the N-terminal region of ACTH (ACTH1-13), possessed potent anti-cellular activity against L cells and various transformed cells, but lacked ACTH biologic activity. The anti-cellular peptide suppressed the IFN gamma response by greater than 99% at 0.05 microM. The ACTH1-39 cleavage products, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha MSH; acetylated and amidated ACTH1-13), and corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP; ACTH18-39) had no effect on IFN gamma production. ACTH1-24, like ACTH1-39, has full steroidogenesis activity but also had no effect on IFN gamma production, which suggests a dissociation of the immunoregulatory and steroidogenic properties of ACTH1-39. ACTH1-39, and possibly also the anti-cellular 2100 Mr peptide, is initially synthesized as the precursor polyprotein pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). Enzymatic processing of POMC, first to the active ACTH1-39 or the anti-cellular peptide and then to the inactive smaller peptides, probably plays an important role in regulation of lymphokine and antibody production by ACTH and ACTH-related neuropeptides. This is consistent with the recent demonstration of the production of ACTH-like peptides by lymphocytes.
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PMID:Regulation of lymphokine (gamma-interferon) production by corticotropin. 631 43


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