title: Regulation of beta-endorphin and ACTH in brain by estradiol.
abstract: The effect of estradiol on the brain concentration of immunoreactive beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and C-terminal ACTH (CLIP) was studied in ovariectomized rats. Dopamine, a known inhibitor of pituitary intermediate lobe pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), was examined as a possible mediator of the estradiol induced changes in brain POMC. Animals were treated for 1 or 3 weeks with either 1) saline; 2) silastic estradiol implants; or 3) estradiol implants plus haloperidol 1 mg/kg/day. After one week of treatment no significant change in hypothalamic beta-EP content was noted in any group compared to the control level of 4.13 +/- .33 (SEM) pmoles although in the neurointermediate lobe beta-EP increased from 566 +/- 72 to 942 +/- 73 pmoles after haloperidol (p less than .005). After 3 weeks, however, hypothalamic beta-EP decreased from 3.96 +/- .28 to 2.74 +/- .19 pmoles (p less than .005) and C-terminal ACTH decreased from 3.78 +/- .33 to 2.82 +/- .18 pmoles (p less than .02) in the estradiol treated rats. This estradiol induced decrease in the hypothalamic content of beta-EP and C-terminal ACTH was not blocked by haloperidol. We conclude that estradiol lowers the hypothalamic content of beta-EP and CLIP and that this effect does not appear to be mediated by dopamine.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D053497:Corticotropin-Like Intermediate Lobe Peptide; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D004958:Estradiol; D053497:Corticotropin-Like Intermediate Lobe Peptide; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D004298:Dopamine