title: Plasma beta-endorphin levels in chronic alcoholics.
abstract: In order to test the possible relationship between the chronic consumption of alcohol and the opioid system, we have measured the plasma levels of beta-endorphin in a group of 31 alcoholic patients and compared the results with those of a control group of 16 subjects. Our results show that chronic consumption of alcohol induces a significant decrease in beta-endorphin (beta-end) plasma levels regardless of either the disease suffered by the alcoholic patient or of the time of abstinence studied (one month maximum). Thus we believe that the beta-end decrease may well be due to the patients' alcoholism and that it might be mediated by the tetrahydroisoquinoline system, or be a cause of alcoholism rather than a consequence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Facultad de Medicina, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Del Arbol
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raya
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Requena
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rico Irles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin