Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Functional aspects of endorphins

A Herz, V Höllt, R Przewłocki

    Progress in Biochemical Pharmacology
    |January 1, 1980
    PubMed
    Summary

    Endorphins like methionine-enkephalin and beta-endorphin show distinct brain distribution and release patterns. Their release from pituitary and hypothalamus is calcium-dependent and modulated by various factors, including stress and disease.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Prospects for online adaptive radiation therapy (ART) for head and neck cancer.

    Radiation oncology (London, England)·2024
    Same author

    [Children and Adolescents with Asthma Differ in Lung Function Parameters and Exhaled NO from Children and Adolescents with Obesity].

    Klinische Padiatrie·2016
    Same author

    Opioid binding properties in bovine retina.

    Neurochemistry international·2010
    Same author

    A differential interaction of putative ?-selective agonists with opiate binding sites in rat brain.

    Neurochemistry international·2010
    Same author

    Renal complications associated with human parvovirus B19 infection in early childhood.

    Klinische Padiatrie·2007
    Same author

    Opioid reward mechanisms: a key role in drug abuse?

    Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology·1998

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Endocrinology
    • Pharmacology

    Background:

    • Endorphins, including enkephalins and beta-endorphin, are key neuropeptides involved in pain and stress responses.
    • Their precise distribution and release mechanisms in the central nervous system and pituitary are not fully elucidated.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the differential distribution and release of methionine-enkephalin, leucine-enkephalin, and beta-endorphin.
    • To explore the regulation of endorphin release by various stimuli and conditions.

    Main Methods:

    • Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was employed to quantify enkephalins and beta-endorphin.
    • Column chromatography was used to separate beta-endorphin from beta-lipotropin.
    • In vitro studies utilized striatal and hypothalamic slices, as well as isolated rat pituitaries, to assess peptide release.
    • In vivo studies examined plasma endorphin levels in rats under various conditions and in human patients.

    Main Results:

    • Enkephalin and beta-endorphin immunoreactivity displayed distinct distribution patterns in the brain.
    • Potassium-stimulated release of enkephalins and beta-endorphin from brain slices was calcium-dependent.
    • Differential release of beta-endorphin from anterior versus intermediate/posterior pituitary lobes was observed, influenced by lysine vasopressin, median eminence extracts, and dopamine.
    • Plasma beta-endorphin levels increased with stress, metyrapone, and vasopressin treatment, and were altered in specific human endocrine disorders.
    • Chronic opiate treatment had varied effects on enkephalin and beta-endorphin levels, with withdrawal leading to decreased brain/hypothalamic beta-endorphin and increased plasma levels.

    Conclusions:

    • Enkephalins and beta-endorphin are differentially distributed and released within the brain and pituitary.
    • Endorphin release is tightly regulated by calcium ions and specific neurohormonal factors.
    • Plasma beta-endorphin levels serve as a potential biomarker for stress and certain endocrine diseases.
    • Opiate administration and withdrawal significantly impact endorphin systems, suggesting complex adaptive mechanisms.

    Related Experiment Videos