[New data on the participation of beta-endorphin in the neuroendocrine control of luteinizing hormone release]

In the experiments on rats the influence of the endogenic opioid beta-endorphine on the blood and hypophysis luteinizing hormone levels was studied after microiontophoretic injection of the hormone into diencephalon preoptic region. beta-Endorphine was shown to induce a significant decrease in blood hormone level and its increase in the hypophysis. No correlation was found between the changed hormone levels in the blood and hypophysis and beta-endorphine action. It is suggested that beta-endorphine participates in the mechanism, controlling luteinizing hormone release at the level of the cyclic center that regulates hypophyseal gonadotropic function.