title: Beta-endorphin concentrations both in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid in response to acute painful stimuli.
abstract: The beta-endorphin-like-immunoreactivity (beta-ELI) has been evaluated both in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 30 patients during trans-sphenoidal surgery. Blood and liquoral samples were collected in five conditions: (1) "reference", (2) "pain", (3) "analgesia", (4) "end", and (5) "24th hour". A significant rise of both plasma and liquoral beta-ELI levels (p less than 0.00001 and p less than 0.08, respectively) when compared to basal ones occurred following the painful stimulation due to the divarication of the nasal mucosa by speculum. A significant decrease (p less than 0.01) was noticed for plasma concentrations at the third sample followed by a new significant increase at the end of the operation, (p less than 0.05 when compared to the third sample and p less than 0.01 when compared to the reference sample). In CSF, beta-ELI levels decreased at the third sample (p less than 0.01 when compared to the painful levels) and at the end of surgery (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05 vs first, second and third samples, respectively). Twenty-four hours after surgery either plasma and liquoral beta-ELI levels decreased (p less than 0.05). The modifications of the opiatergic system after acute painful stimuli should be, hence, characterized by an early rise followed by a progressive decrease of beta-ELI concentrations. The increase of plasma beta-ELI levels, at the end of surgery, could be due to pituitary manipulation with massive release in the peripheral blood.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosurgery, Second School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spaziante
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cafiero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irace
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazzarella
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010146:Pain / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin