beta-endorphin and Pre-Eclampsia

This prospective study was undertaken to determine the maternal plasma beta-endorphin levels in pre-eclamptic women during labour and to explore any correlation between the levels and the severity of pre-eclampsia. A total of 50 primiparous women at term were recruited over a period of 5 years. Twenty-five with pre-eclampsia and 25 healthy women considered as a control group. The mean concentration of maternal plasma beta-endorphin in pre-eclamptic group (22.73+/-8.02 pmol/l) was significantly lower (p<0.001) than that of the control group (48.38+/-5.94 pmol/l). A highly significant (p<0.001) negative correlation was found between maternal plasma beta-endorphin levels and both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in pre-eclamptic group.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; beta-Endorphin; Blood Pressure; Female; Humans; Labor, Obstetric; Parity; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy

To study the relationship between somatostatin (SS), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), beta-endorphin (beta-EP), aldosterone (Aldo) and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), blood was collected from 69 cases, including non-pregnant women, normal pregnant women, patients with PIH and their newborns (umbilical arteries) and plasma levels of ANP, SS, beta-EP, Aldo were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results indicated that ANP, SS beta-EP and Aldo levels either during normal pregnancy or at delivery were significantly higher than those in non-pregnant women. ANP, SS and beta-EP levels in last trimester of patients with PIH, particular in severe cases, were significantly higher than those in normal pregnancy or moderate PIH whereas Aldo levels were lower in PIH when compared with normal pregnancy. A positive correlation between ANP, SS levels and the severity of PIH was observed. Levels of ANP, SS, beta-EP and Aldo in newborns were higher than those in mothers at delivery. Levels of ANP and SS in neonates born to mother of PIH were much higher, whereas beta-EP and Aldo were lower as compared with normal pregnancy. The conclusion is that high levels of ANP and Aldo during pregnancy may play an important role in stabilizing blood pressure and maintaining the balance of water and electrolyte. Therefore it could be used as an index for prediction of PIH.

Topics: Adult; Aldosterone; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; beta-Endorphin; Biomarkers; Female; Fetal Blood; Humans; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Somatostatin

beta-Endorphin (beta-E) immunoreactivity was measured in the amniotic compartment of 52 normotensive and 45 hypertensive gestations. All the fetuses of the normal group were healthy and showed appropriate intrauterine growth, whereas only suffering and growth-retarded fetuses were included in the pathological group. As expected, amniotic beta-E concentration was found to be significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive pregnancies (mean +/- SEM: 129.1 +/- 8.15 vs. 59.1 +/- 2.68 pg/ml; p < or = 0.005). A positive correlation between the hormone levels and the diastolic as well as the mean maternal blood pressure (r: 0.554; p < or = 0.05 and r: 0.525; p < or = 0.05, respectively) was present only in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. Furthermore, a negative correlation (r: -0.555; p < or = 0.05) linked amniotic beta-E and the pulse pressure in normal but not in complicated pregnancies. Unless beta-E in the amniotic compartment is also of amniochorial origin, our results suggest that the fetal endorphinergic tone is either activated by elevated diastolic and mean maternal pressure levels or lowered by increased pulse pressure values in normally elapsing pregnancies.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Amniotic Fluid; beta-Endorphin; Blood Pressure; Female; Fetal Growth Retardation; Humans; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Radioimmunoassay

We conducted a prospective evaluation of the comparative effects of lumbar epidural and general anesthesia on the hemodynamic and neuroendocrine stress response to cesarean delivery in 21 women with severe preeclampsia. In the epidural group (n = 11), anesthesia extending to the T-4 dermatome level was obtained using 2% plain lidocaine in divided doses. In the general anesthesia group (n = 10), anesthesia was induced after pretreatment with labetalol or nitroglycerin. In the epidural group, mean arterial pressure (MAP) gradually decreased from 133.3 +/- 5.6 mm Hg to 119 +/- 4.4 mm Hg (P less than 0.002). After pretreatment with labetalol or nitroglycerin, MAP in the general group decreased from 131.5 +/- 4.9 mm Hg to 112.2 +/- 3.5 mm Hg (P less than 0.001). At skin incision (after tracheal intubation), MAP increased from 112.2 +/- 3.5 mm Hg to 143 +/- 5.4 mm Hg (P less than 0.001); however, this was not significantly different from baseline MAP. In the epidural group, there were no further changes in MAP. The difference in MAP at skin incision and postpartum period between the two groups was significant (P less than 0.004 and P less than 0.009, respectively). In the general anesthesia group, both adrenocorticotropic hormone and beta-endorphin-like immunoactivity increased significantly from base levels at skin incision. The catecholamines also increased significantly and remained so throughout the study period. In the epidural group, the concentrations of these hormones decreased or remained unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Adult; Anesthesia, Epidural; Anesthesia, General; Anesthesia, Obstetrical; Apgar Score; beta-Endorphin; Catecholamines; Cesarean Section; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Prospective Studies

alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin were measured by radioimmunoassay in samples of amniotic fluid collected from the 32nd to the 38th gestational week and at labour from normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by gestosis. In normal pregnancies, the concentration of alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin remained relatively constant during the last 7 gestational weeks, but increased at labour above the values of the 38th week by 88, 143 and 96%, respectively. A positive correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH (r = 0.92) or ACTH (r = 0.76) levels was found when labour values were considered in the regression analysis. In contrast, when labour values were excluded, only a poor positive correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH (r = 0.52) was found. In complicated pregnancies, alpha-MSH and ACTH concentrations were similar to those found in normal pregnancies: on the other hand, the level of beta-endorphin, was found to be 130% higher than normal. As in normal pregnancies, alpha-MSH, ACTH and beta-endorphin levels increased at labour, but only by 46, 44 and 23%, respectively. In contrast to in normal pregnancies, the correlation between beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH or ACTH was not significantly modified by labour values. The present results confirm and extend previous studies showing that beta-endorphin may be considered a marker of fetal distress and that the fetal pituitary is capable of reacting to stressful stimuli in normal and suffering fetuses.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Adult; alpha-MSH; Amniotic Fluid; beta-Endorphin; Female; Humans; Labor, Obstetric; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third