Fabio Facchinetti

Simultaneous Circadian Variations of Plasma ACTH, Beta-Lipotropin, Beta-Endorphin and Cortisol

The major objective of this study was to investigate the analogy existing between the typical circadian periodicity of ACTH and that recently described of beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) plasma levels. The determination of their concentrations, plus cortisol, has been performed on the same plasma samples of 6 healthy volunteers. All hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay. Those of beta-LPH and beta-EP were preceded by a purification of plasma through silicic acid extraction and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The highest values (mean +/- SEM) were found in the morning (ACTH: 10.3 +/- 0.9; beta-LPH; 6.3 +/- 0.7; beta-EP: 6.5 +/- 0.5 fmol/ml; cortisol: 378 +/- 30 pmol/ml) and the lowest values in the evening (ACTH: 6:1 +/- 0.7; beta-LPH: 3.3 +/- 0.4; beta-EP: 3.7 +/- 0.6 fmol/ml; cortisol: 130 +/- 23 pmol/ml). Statistical analysis using the Fourier method led to the evidence of a concomitant circadian secretory pattern of the three proopiocortin-related peptides. These results strongly suggest that the phasic secretion of ACTH, beta-LPH and beta-EP underlies a common central control.

β-endorphin and β-lipotropin plasma levels in chronic schizophrenia, primary affective disorders and secondary affective disorders

Abstract Plasma levels of β-endorphin (β-EP), β-lipotropin (β-LPH) and ACTH were assayed in 15 chronic schizophrenics, nine patients with primary affective disorders (PAD) and seven patients with secondary affective disorders (SAD). Patients received no therapy for 10 days prior to study. All subjects were studied once; eight schizophrenics were studied again after 10 days of Haloperidol therapy, at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg body weight. β-LPH levels were significantly higher in the schizophrenics without hallucinations and in the PAD and SAD patients in comparison to the controls; β-EP levels were higher in the schizophrenics and SAD patients compared to the controls; and ACTH concentrations were significantly lower in the SAD than in the PAD patients. Haloperidol therapy failed to induce significant changes in β-LPH, β-EP or ACTH plasma levels. Statistical evaluation by multiple linear regression confirmed the significant positive correlations among β-LPH, β-EP and ACTH in the controls, schizophrenics with hallucinations, and PAD and SAD patients, while inverse correlations between β-LPH and the other two peptides were found in the schizophrenics without hallucinations. The same analysis revealed that, while in the PAD patients equimolar amounts of the three peptides occurred, the SAD patients were characterized by ACTH/β-LPH and ACTH/β-EP molar ratios of 0.5. Although these results are preliminary, they seem to indicate that β-LPH, β-EP and ACTH secretion patterns in chronic schizophrenia, PAD and SAD may help in revealing specific groups of patients with different biochemical substrates.

Effect of exogenous melatonin on vascular reactivity and nitric oxide in postmenopausal women: role of hormone replacement therapy

Several effects of melatonin are modulated by gonadal steroids and are reduced in ageing women. Administration of melatonin reduces internal carotid artery pulsatility index (PI), and blood pressure in young individuals. Whether these effects are conserved in postmenopausal women and are influenced by hormone replacement therapy (HRT), was herein investigated.

Plasma opioid levels in post-traumatic chronic headache and trigeminal neuralgia: maintained response to acupuncture.

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Effectiveness of salmon calcitonin nasal spray preparation in migraine treatment

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Endogenous Opioid Peptides in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders

The involvement of endogenous opioid peptides in the nurture of mental diseases is suggested by the following observations: n n1. n nβ-Endorphin (β-EP) and enkephalins may act as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS) in a mediatory process that involves the inhibition of postsynaptic adenylate cyclase and the activation of guanylate cyclase (Gispen et al., 1977; Minneman and Iversen, 1976), or in a modulatory function that alters the response of neurons to the stimulatory effects of classical nonpeptide neurotransmitters. This last effect could be obtained by en-dorphin-induced modifications of the neuronal membranes, resulting in altered activity of specific enzymes involved in neuronal function. In this context β-EP could interfere with the activity of classical neurotransmitters, and therefore changes in the levels of these natural opioids could be responsible for the appearance and development of mental diseases. Enkephalins have been shown to inhibit the release of acetylcholine (ACh) in the hippocampus, of nora-drenalin (NE), dopamine (DA) and adenylate cyclase in the entire brain and especially in the striatum of rats (Kosterlitz and Hughes, 1975). n n n n n2. n nA specific behavioral effect has been demonstrated in animals injected intracerebrally with β-EP, represented by a catatonialike condition with motor retardation and muscular rigidity, which is considered to be an anologue of human catatonia or of the extrapyramidal rigidity elicited in schizophrenics by neuroleptics (Bloom et al., 1976; Jacquet and Marks, 1976).