title: Differential effects of beta-endorphin on cAMP levels in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: In the present paper we demonstrate that one of the early effects of the opioid peptide beta-endorphin on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells is the induction of a change in the intracellular cAMP level. However, the effect of beta-endorphin on cAMP levels is not uniform; increases as well as decreases in cAMP level are observed. It appears that beta-endorphin is a true modulator of intracellular cAMP level: the peptide will increase cAMP levels in cells with a low baseline level. In contrast, beta-endorphin tends to decrease cAMP levels is cells with a high cAMP concentration. Moreover, beta-endorphin modulates the rise in cAMP induced by beta-adrenergic activation. The effect of beta-endorphin on cAMP level correlates negatively with the magnitude of the change in cAMP level induced by beta-adrenergic activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Immunology, University Hospital for Children and Youth Het Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kavelaars
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ballieux
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Heijnen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000187:drug effects*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C068289:beta-endorphin (1-5); D001615:beta-Endorphin; C035101:N-acetyl-beta-endorphin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D007545:Isoproterenol