title: CSF beta-endorphin and leu-enkephalin levels in the acute and chronic stages of cerebral infarction.
abstract: To investigate the role of endogenous opioid peptides in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischaemia, the CSF levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin and leu-enkephalin in 16 patients with cerebral infarction were measured. Both the CSF beta-endorphin and leu-enkephalin levels in the acute stage of cerebral infarction were significantly higher than the values in the chronic stage. The CSF concentrations of the two peptides revealed a positive correlation in the acute but not the chronic stage. The increased endogenous opioid peptides in the CSF in the acute stage may modify the evolution of cerebral infarction.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004723:Endorphins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D001615:beta-Endorphin