Effects of beta-endorphin and its fragments on inhibitory avoidance behavior in rats

The effects on retrieval of a one-trial learning inhibitory avoidance response of beta-endorphin, alpha-endorphin, and gamma-endorphin, given prior to test have been studied in rats. beta-Endorphin (beta-LPH 61-91) in a relatively low dose (1.56 micrograms sc. or 50 ng icv.) facilitated inhibitory avoidance behavior, while a higher dose (10 micrograms sc. or 100 ng icv.) caused bimodal changes (facilitation in 50% of the animals and attenuation in another 40%. Peripheral injection of gamma-endorphin attenuated inhibitory avoidance behaviour in a dose-dependent manner. The C-terminus of beta-endorphin (beta-LPH 78-91) was ineffective. alpha-Endorphin facilitated inhibitory avoidance behavior in a dose dependent manner. Naltrexone pretreatment antagonized the bimodal effect of beta-endorphin: following pretreatment with the opiate antagonist the low latency component disappeared, but the facilitatory effect of the neuropeptide remained the same. It is suggested that beta-endorphin carries more than one bit of behavioral information. Inherent activities either related or unrelated to naltrexone-sensitive opiate as well as biotransformation into alpha- and gamma-endorphin may contribute to the multiple behavioral effects of this neuropeptide.