beta-endorphin and Cerebral-Hemorrhage

To study the influence of beta-endorphin (beta end) on the function of immune system of patients with cerebral hemorrhage at different stages.. Radioimmunal analysis was applied to detect the serum beta-endorphin concentration in the peripheral blood of 28 patients with cerebral hemorrhage, aged 65.5 +/- 13, 28 age-matched patients with cerebral thrombosis, and 28 sex and age-matched normal controls. Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood of these 3 kinds of subjects were cultured and then beta end 10(-8) g/L, beta end 10(-11) g/L, beta end 10(-14) g/L, or beta end 10(-11) g/L + naloxone 10(-5) g/L were added into the media respectively and the MNCs were cultured for more 24 hours (beta end 10(-8) g/L group, beta end 10(-11) g/L group, beta end 10(-14) g/L group, and beta end 10(-11) g/L + Nal group). Another MNCs were cultured without addition of beta end (beta end 0 g/L group). Then the MNCs were collected. RT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-8 and iNOS mRNA in the MNCs.. The serum beta-end level of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the acute stage was 129 +/- 82 ng/L, significantly lower than that of the normal controls (321 +/- 62 ng/L, P<0.01) and that of the patients with cerebral thrombosis (264 +/- 163 ng/L, P<0.05), but not significantly different from that of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage in the convalescent stage (160 +/- 72 ng/L, P>0.05). The expression of IL-1beta and the expression of IL-2 of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the acute stage were significantly lower than those of the patients with cerebral thrombosis and the controls (all P<0.01). The expression of IL-1beta of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the convalescent stage were higher than that in the acute stage, however, the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The expression of IL-2 of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the convalescent stage was higher than that at the acute stage (P<0.01). The expression of IL-8 and the expression of iNOS of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the acute stage were significantly higher than those of the patients of cerebral thrombosis and the controls (both P<0.01). The expression of IL-8 and the expression of iNOS of the patients with cerebral hemorrhage at the convalescent stage were significantly lower than those in the acute stage (both P<0.01). The expressions of IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-8, and iNOS mRNA in the peripheral blood MNCs in vitro in the beta end 10(-8) g/L group and beta end 10(-11) g/L group were significantly higher than those of the beta end 0 g/L group, beta end 10(-11) g/L group, and beta-end 10(-11) g/L + Nal 10(-5)g/L group. The expressions of IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-8, and iNOS mRNA in the peripheral blood MNCs in the beta-end 10(-11) g/L +Nal 10(-5) g/L group were higher than those of the beta end 0 g/L group, however, not significantly.. The endogenous beta-endorphin level of cerebral hemorrhage patients is low. The immune system function is up-regulated at the acute stage and then down-regulated. Thereafter the immune system function is invariably low. Exogenous beta-endorphin enhances the IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-8 and iNOS mRNA expression of peripheral blood MNCS. beta-endorphin receptor antagonist naloxone blocks the positive immunoregulation by beta-endorphin.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; beta-Endorphin; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Female; Humans; Immune System; Interleukin-8; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; RNA, Messenger

Perinatal asphyxia is one of the major causes of cerebral injury in neonates. It may be due to the increased endogenous opioid-like substances (OLS) in the body. The levels of three OLS, namely leucine-enkephalin (LEK), beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and dynorphin A1-13 (DynoA1-13) of 44 cases with neonatal asphyxia were studied by radioimmunoassay. The OLS level in plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were higher in asphyxiated group than those in the control group, especially in asphyxiated cases with fetal distress. The OLS levels of CSF were also higher in cases with cerebral injury than in those without cerebral injury, while the levels of OLS in plasma had no difference in these two groups. The relationship between OLS levels and asphyxia and cerebral injury is also discussed.

Topics: Asphyxia Neonatorum; beta-Endorphin; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Dynorphins; Enkephalin, Leucine; Female; Fetal Hypoxia; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Peptide Fragments; Pregnancy

In an attempt to prove whether beta-endorphin diurnal rhythm existed in neonates, 17 infants with a mean (+/- SD) gestational age of 31.7 +/- 4.8 weeks and a birth weight of 1,790 +/- 898 g were studied at a mean postnatal age of 3.3 +/- 0.5 days. Plasma samples were obtained from a pre-existing umbilical arterial line at 09.00 h, noon and 15.00 h. Mean plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin were 68.3 +/- 27.7, 54.5 +/- 13.7, and 45.1 +/- 10.8 pg/ml, respectively. Highly significant (p = 0.0002) variation of plasma beta-endorphin concentration was observed in these neonates suggesting the presence of a diurnal rhythm of beta-endorphin in neonates. It is important to specify the time of collection of blood samples for determination of opiates in neonates.

Topics: Asphyxia Neonatorum; beta-Endorphin; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Circadian Rhythm; Humans; Hyaline Membrane Disease; Infant, Newborn; Radioimmunoassay