title: Plasma [met]enkephalin concentrations after endocrine and pharmacological modifications.
abstract: Plasma [met]enkephalin was evaluated in rats either after the ablation of endocrine organs or after pharmacological modulation of the catecholaminergic and/or indoleaminergic systems. Plasma concentrations of [met]enkephalin were greatly increased after adrenalectomy both in normal and hypophysectomized rats, while there were not significant differences between female and male rats or after gonadectomy or hypophysectomy alone. Moreover, [met]enkephalin plasma concentrations were significantly decreased in rats treated with drug affecting the serotoninergic system such as reserpine, 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine or parachlorophenylalanine, while depletion of the catecholaminergic system by alfa-methyl-thyrosine did not affect the concentrations of the peptide.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Panerai
mesh_terms: D015116:5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology*; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D015116:5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine; D012701:Serotonin; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine; D012110:Reserpine