[The role of beta-endorphins in silent forms of ischemic heart disease]

Silent--asymptomatic--ischaemia is one of the forms of ischaemic heart disease. Present possibilities of non-invasive diagnostics are based primarily on long-term ECG monitoring. With regards to the hypothesis that the raised algesic threshold at high level of analgetically reacting beta endorphins seems to be the pathophysiologic basis of this particular syndrome, we tried to verify the presumption by administering a beta-endorphin antagonist-naloxon. In 13 patients with a silent form of ischaemic heart disease (absence of stenocardia in objectively proved ischaemia in loading test) we made the loading test in a standard form and after administering of 2 mgs of naloxan intravenously. Owing to the fact that stenocardia developed only in one patient after endogenous opiate effect blockage we presume that pathophysiologic basis of this syndrome must be discovered elsewhere.