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)

A laminectomy was performed at the T5-T6 vertebral level in adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats and the spinal cord transected with a scalpel. A group of sham animals was subjected to the same surgery without the transection step. A group of unhandled control rats was also included. A subgroup of transected animals received a subcutaneous osmotic minipump that dispensed IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) at the transection site for 7 consecutive days. Another transected subgroup received a minipump that infused the vehicle only. IRAP-treated rats displayed a significant reduction in body temperature (p < 0.05) compared with vehicle-treated rats. The IRAP-treated rats were also less active when assessed for locomotor behavior using an HVS computerized tracking system (p < 0.01). IRAP treatment had no effect on serum corticosterone, beta-endorphin levels, Con A, PHA, or LPS-induced splenocyte mitogenesis when compared with vehicle-treated animals. However, half of the IRAP-treated animals exhibited a substantive reduction in the number of reactive astrocytes near the transection site, suggesting a possible effect of IRAP on astrocyte activation.
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PMID:The effects of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) infusion following spinal cord transection in rats. 896 1

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is released by immunocompetent cells as well as the pituitary gland and functions as a potent inhibitor of immune and inflammatory reactions. Therefore, it was investigated whether normal human monocytes express melanocortin (MC) receptors specific for alpha-MSH. Upon FACS analysis using biotin-labeled alpha-MSH, a low number of alpha-MSH binding sites was detectable on unstimulated monocytes. alpha-MSH receptor expression was up-regulated when monocytes were treated with endotoxin (LPS) or mitogen (PHA) for 3 to 5 days and was further augmented by the addition of cytokines such as IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10. Adrenocorticotropin, a precursor of alpha-MSH, but not the structurally unrelated beta-MSH, competitively inhibited alpha-MSH binding, suggesting that the receptor expressed on monocytes is specific for alpha-MSH. This was further confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR, which demonstrated that monocytes express mRNA specific for the MC receptor MC-1, which binds alpha-MSH and adrenocorticotropin, whereas mRNA specific for other known melanocortin receptors was not detectable. To investigate whether the immunosuppressing capacity of alpha-MSH is associated with the up-regulation of MC-1, its effect on the expression of costimulatory molecules (CD86 and CD80) on human monocytes was investigated. alpha-MSH significantly inhibited the expression of CD86 on LPS-treated monocytes, which exhibited a high density of MC-1, whereas CD80 expression was not altered. These findings indicate that human monocytes, depending on their activation and maturation state, are able to express MC-1, and up-regulation of MC-1 seems to be required to enable alpha-MSH to modulate immune responses in which costimulatory molecules play a decisive role.
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PMID:Evidence for the differential expression of the functional alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor MC-1 on human monocytes. 912 Feb 97

The effect of beta-endorphin (beta-END) stimulation of cytokines production by PHA-induced human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was studied by reverse transcription in combination with polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), slot blotting and hybridization to detect and measure messenger RNA (mRNA). beta-END significantly and dose dependently enhanced IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA expression of T cells and naloxone (Nal) reversed the effect of beta-END on IL-2 mRNA expression. The results further demonstrate the important link between the neural system and the immune system.
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PMID:[beta-Endorphin enhances IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression in human blood mononuclear cells]. 1045 20

The cross-talk between the endocrine and the immune systems mediated by a wide array of hormones, cytokines, and neuromodulators is heightened during disease, stress, and presumably, during pregnancy. Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and nitric oxide (NO) are two immunomodulators that are also produced from lymphocytes and contribute to the immunomodulation. Thus, we investigated whether the heightened bidirectional communication between the immune and the endocrine systems observed during pregnancy is reflected in production of ACTH and NO from peripheral bovine lymphocytes and if any temporal correlation exists between them. Adrenocorticotropin was analyzed using a sandwich immunoradiometric assay, and nitrite and nitrate (a measure of NO) were estimated in supernatants of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) using a colorimetric assay based on the Griess reaction. A significantly high secretion of ACTH and NO was noticed from PBLs in all stages of pregnancy compared to that in cyclic and cystic cows. Increased secretory capacity was noticed as early as 7 days after conception, which reached as much as 600% that of nonpregnant animals between Days 90-120 of gestation. Adrenocorticotropin and NO decline 1 mo before the expected time of parturition. Unlike those from cyclic animals, PBLs from pregnant cows were refractory to stimulation by PHA-M (Phytohemagglutinin) and corticotropin-releasing hormone. A strong correlation was observed between ACTH and NO secretion from PBLs in pregnant, in cyclic, and in cystic cows. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence elucidating the induction of ACTH and NO from PBLs during pregnancy, and it implies a new role for ACTH and NO secreted from PBLs in recognition and, probably, maintenance of pregnancy.
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PMID:Pregnancy stimulates secretion of adrenocorticotropin and nitric oxide from peripheral bovine lymphocytes. 1113 80

Corticosterone plasma concentration was measured in a random-bred control line and in 3 White Leghorn chicken lines previously selected over 9 generations for 3 different in vivo immune responses: high antibody response to Newcastle disease virus vaccine 3 wk after vaccination (ND3), high cell-mediated immune response (response to phytohemagglutinin, PHA), and high phagocytic activity measured as carbon clearance (CC). The objective of the study was to estimate if selection on immune response had an effect on the response to stress assessed by measures of corticosterone concentration before and after physical stress or adrenocorticotropin hormone injection and if the effect was dependent on the immune response trait that had been selected for, by joint analyses of immune responses and concentrations. The mean values of plasma corticosterone measures did not differ between lines, indicating that selection for different high immune responses had little effect on response to stress. Within line, however, significant negative correlations (-0.46 <or= r <or= -0.39) were found between cell-mediated immunity and corticosterone plasma concentrations in 3 of the 4 lines. Moreover, in the line selected for high antibody titers (ND3-L), corticosterone levels were positively correlated to ND3 (r = 0.41 and 0.47) and negatively correlated to CC (r = -0.48).
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PMID:Circulating corticosterone reaction to restraint and adrenocorticotropin hormone administration in white leghorns selected for immune response traits. 1893 Nov 71

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) has been the first-line drug for the treatment of West syndrome, although the therapy has various adverse effects. ACTH depresses resistance to a variety of bacterial, viral, protozoal, and fungal agents. The timing of the various vaccinations is delayed after ACTH therapy in Japan, because the immune system is believed to be affected for approximately 6 months. However, the duration of the effect of ACTH on the immune system is not known. Therefore, we examined changes in the immunity levels before and after ACTH therapy. We measured white blood cell counts, lymphocyte counts, T/B cell counts, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell counts, CD 4/8 ratio, lymphocyte blastoid transformation by PHA or Con-A, and the levels of IgA, IgM, and IgG before, immediately after, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after ACTH therapy. The lymphocyte counts and CD4(+) T cell counts were significantly decreased immediately after and at 1 and 3 months after the therapy, and did not return to the previous levels even at 6 months and 12 months after ACTH treatment; however, these levels returned to within normal limits (within the 95% confidence interval). Immunoglobulin levels did not change after the ACTH therapy. Helper T cells were more depressed than cytotoxic T cells after ACTH therapy.
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PMID:A pilot study on the changes in immunity after ACTH therapy in patients with West syndrome. 1911 60

It was revealed that beta-endorphin modulation of lymphocyte proliferative activity in male donors was predominantly observed under younger age groups of 20-29 and 30-39 years, while with age it gradually decreased and disappeared as such in group of donors under 50-60 years. Meanwhile, females demonstrated prolonged modulating effect of peptide on the proliferation. In female group under 50-59 years the peptide was found to render marked promoting effect on the spontaneous proliferation in concentrations of 10(-7), 10(-8), and 10(-10) M that was induced by suboptimal PHA concentration of 10(-10) M, whereas women in the range of 30-39 years showed that beta-endorphin suppressed the PHA-induced proliferative response. Male donors in age group of 20-29 years demonstrated beta-endorphin-stimulated and in age group of 50-59 years beta-endorphin-suppressed uptake capacity of neutrophils. In female donors from all age groups the effect of beta-endorphin on neutrophil phagocyte activity was not observed.
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PMID:[Influence of beta-endorphin on the proliferative and phagocytic activity of peripheral blood cells from males and females in different age groups]. 2388 58


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