title: Aging brain and dementias: changes in central opioids.
abstract: We evaluated the CSF levels of beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH), beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and ACTH, which are three neuropeptides expressed by the same gene encoding for pro-opiomelanocortin, in various groups of demented patients including degenerative (presenile and senile Alzheimer-type dementia, ATD) and vascular (MID) forms. Twelve sex- and age-matched subjects were taken as controls. Our data indicate that ACTH levels are significantly reduced both in ATD and MID patients, while beta-EP and beta-LPH are significantly reduced only in ATD. The low CSF ACTH levels can be considered typical of all demented processes (both degenerative and vascular), while the reduction of beta-EP and beta-LPH in CSF could be due to a degenerative process of CNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, C. Mondino Foundation, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nappi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinforiani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martignoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petraglia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Facchinetti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Genazzani
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004723:Endorphins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D008083:beta-Lipotropin