beta-endorphin and Asthma

Topics: Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Body Temperature; Catecholamines; Circadian Rhythm; Endorphins; Humans; Posture

Topics: Analgesia; Animals; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Diabetes Mellitus; Endorphins; Enkephalins; Epilepsy; Humans; Mental Disorders; Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; Receptors, Opioid; Tissue Distribution

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease is characterized by airway inflammation, remodelling, airflow limitation and hyperresponsiveness. At present, it is considered as an umbrella diagnosis consisting several variable clinical presentations (phenotypes) and distinct pathophysiological mechanisms (endotypes). Recent evidence suggests that oxidative stress participates in airway inflammation and remodelling in chronic asthma. Opioids resembled by group of regulatory peptides have proven to act as an immunomodulator. β-Endorphin a natural and potent endogenous morphine produced in the anterior pituitary gland play role in pain modulation. Therapeutic strategy of many opioids including β-Endorphin as an anti‑inflammatory and antioxidative agent has not been yet explored despite its promising analgesic effects. This is the first study to reveal the role of β-Endorphin in regulating airway inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and oxidative stress via Nrf-2 in an experimental asthmatic model. Asthma was generated in balb/c mice by sensitizing with 1% Toulene Diisocyanate on day 0, 7, 14 and 21 and challenging with 2.5% Toulene Diisocyanate from day 22 to 51 (on every alternate day) through intranasal route. β-Endorphin (5 µg/kg) was administered through the nasal route 1 h prior to sensitization and challenge. The effect of β-Endorphin on pulmonary inflammation and redox status along with parameters of oxidative stress were evaluated. We found that pre-treatment of β-Endorphin significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration in lung tissue and cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Also, pre-treatment of β-Endorphin reduced reactive oxygen species, Myeloperoxidase, Nitric Oxide, Protein and protein carbonylation, Glutathione Reductase, Malondialdehyde, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Reversely, β-Endorphin significantly increased Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, glutathione, Glutathione-S-Transferase, and activation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) via Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), independent pathway in the lung restoring architectural alveolar and bronchial changes. The present findings reveal the therapeutic potency of β-END in regulating asthma by Keap-1 independent regulation of Nrf-2 activity. The present findings reveal the therapeutic potency of β-Endorphin in regulating asthma.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Apoptosis; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Disease Models, Animal; Glutathione; Inflammation; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Oxidative Stress

Specific immunotherapy for respiratory allergy, a seasonal disease, significantly reduces the inflammatory process, attenuating the clinical symptoms. The mechanism for the clinical beneficial effect of immunotherapy has not yet been clarified. Melatonin shows a circadian and seasonal variation and together with the endogenous opioid system plays an immunomodulatory role acting on both specific and nonspecific immunity responses. Thus, the possibility that immunotherapy involved changes in the melatonin-opioid system was investigated.. Thirty-five children aged 3-15 years with rhinitis and asthma due to olive + grass pollen sensitization were studied. The patients were treated with depot extracts containing the identified allergens with increasing doses from 1 to 1,000 IU/ml during 3 months. Melatonin, beta-endorphin, total and specific IgE and IgG4 were determined before and after treatment.. All children showed a significant improvement of their symptoms at the end of the treatment, coinciding with a significant drop of both melatonin and beta-endorphin levels. Total IgE decreased in most of the cases although the mean values did not show significant changes. Specific IgE and IgG4 were also unchanged. A significant correlation between melatonin and beta-endorphin and between beta-endorphin and IgG4 was found before immunotherapy, and these correlations disappeared when the treatment was finished.. The decrease in the levels of melatonin and beta-endorphin suggests the disappearance of their stimulating influence on the immune system. Thus, hyposensitization after immunotherapy may involve, at least in part, the inhibition of the immunoenhancing properties of the melatonin-opioid system.

Topics: Adolescent; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Child; Child, Preschool; Desensitization, Immunologic; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin G; Male; Melatonin; Oleaceae; Poaceae; Pollen; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal

Serum beta-endorphin was measured by radioimmunoassay in 25 patients with atopic dermatitis and 100 healthy subjects. The neuropeptide was found to be markedly (p < 0.001) increased in patients with atopic dermatitis (9.2 +/- 3.4 pg/ml) as compared to normal controls (6.1 +/- 1.5 pg/ml). A correlation between increased serum beta-endorphin concentration and some clinical parameters of the disease has been found. The statistically significant elevation of beta-endorphin was found in patients with widespread atopic dermatitis lesions involving more than 20% of the skin surface (11.1 +/- 3.6 pg/ml), a high disease severity score (10.7 +/- 3.7 pg/ml), and previous bronchial asthma symptoms (11.6 +/- 3.1 pg/ml). A possible explanation of increased beta-endorphin is either its generation in atopic dermatitis lesions by inflammatory cells or activation of pituitary-adrenal axis by psychoneural factors in the mechanism of chronic stress.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Body Surface Area; Case-Control Studies; Dermatitis, Atopic; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Stress, Physiological

Six atopic subjects with grass pollen allergy and six nonallergic healthy volunteers were enrolled into this study. Substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LIR) and beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta E-LIR) were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and nasal lavage (NAL) fluids before and after allergen (grass pollen) provocation. A significant increase in the baseline concentration of SP-LIR and beta E-LIR was seen in BAL of allergic subjects. In NAL of allergic subjects an increased baseline concentration of SP-LIR was found (beta E-LIR not detectable). After allergen provocation there was a rise of SP-LIR and beta E-LIR in BAL fluids of allergic subjects immediately after provocation. In NAL fluids of allergic subjects allergen challenge resulted in a rise of SP-LIR within 10 minutes. Allergen provocation did not influence SP-LIR and beta E-LIR concentration in BAL and NAL in nonallergic controls. The demonstrated higher baseline levels of SP-LIR and beta E-LIR as well as the increase after provocation in the BAL and NAL of allergic subjects but not in nonallergic controls support the hypothesis that these neuropeptides contribute to allergic reactions in airways of humans.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Female; Humans; Male; Nasal Provocation Tests; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Substance P

The content of beta-endorphins was studied in 64 children aged 6 to 14 years with atopic bronchial asthma (BA). The phasic relationship was established in the time course of changes in the content of beta-endorphins. In the paroxysmal period of BA, the concentration of beta-endorphins in blood was lowered, whereas after attacks and in the stage of remission, the level of beta-endorphins was increased and differed significantly from the indicators in the control group. The reduction of the content of beta-endorphins during exacerbation correlated with the disease gravity. The content of endorphins was found to be affected by the age and sex: the greater reduction of the level of beta-endorphins was recorded in children aged 6 to 11 years and in boys. The reduction of the level of beta-endorphins was followed by the impairment of interhormonal relations between ACTH and beta-endorphins, ACTH and hydrocortisone in all the disease phases. A correlation was discovered between the level of beta-endorphins and ACTH, cAMP as well as the level of IgE in blood plasma. It is suggested that derangements in the endorphin system may influence the mechanisms by which bronchial hyperreactivity is formed.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Aging; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Child; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Immunoglobulin E; Male; Radioimmunoassay; Sex Characteristics

Concentrations of endogenous opioid peptides in the plasma are increased during exercise and these substances have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma induced by chloropropramide and alcohol in diabetic patients. This work was undertaken to determine whether exercise induced asthma might be mediated by endogenous opioids. Plasma beta endorphin, met-enkephalin, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) concentrations were measured in five asthmatic patients and five normal volunteers breathing cold air during exercise. In four of the patients the effect of an infusion of naloxone on FEV1 was also measured during exercise induced asthma. Exercise produced acute bronchoconstriction in all asthmatics, characterised by a fall in FEV1; whereas no change occurred in normal subjects. There was no difference in plasma met-enkephalin, beta endorphin, and ACTH concentration between the two groups. Infusion of naloxone neither prevented nor worsened exercise induced asthma. These data suggest that endogenous opioids probably do not play a part in the development of exercise induced asthma.

Topics: Adult; Asthma; Asthma, Exercise-Induced; beta-Endorphin; Double-Blind Method; Endorphins; Enkephalin, Methionine; Female; Humans; Male; Naloxone; Random Allocation

The paper deals with the investigation of endorphin content in the blood of patients with asthma. The increase in alpha- and beta-endorphin concentration was shown to depend on the severity of clinical manifestations of infectious-allergic and atopic forms of bronchial asthma. This regularity was not observed for gamma-endorphin. The infectious-allergic form of asthma was characterized by drastic reduction in the content of all three endorphin types upon treatment with dexamethasone. The possible role of endorphin reactions in the pathogenesis of asthma is discussed.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; alpha-Endorphin; Asthma; beta-Endorphin; Dexamethasone; Endorphins; Female; gamma-Endorphin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged