Regional distribution of methionine-enkephalin- and beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in human brain and pituitary.
Concentrations of methionine-enkephalin- (Met-enkephalin) and beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivities were determined in 33 areas of human brain and pituitary using highly sensitive radioimmunoassays in combination with affinity chromatography for the purification of beta-endorphin. It was found that they have quite different distribution patterns, suggesting the existence of both endorphins in independent systems in the central nervous system. Determination of Met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin immunoreactivities in chronic alcoholics and opiate-dependent subjects revealed no gross changes in comparison to the normal subjects.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism
D004723:Endorphins; D004745:Enkephalins