title: Plasma immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels in depression. Effect of electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: Immunoreactive (ir) plasma beta-endorphin level was assayed in ten symptomatic patients with a unipolar major depressive disorder and in 16 psychiatrically normal controls matched for age and sex. Plasma ir-beta-endorphin level in depressed patients was similar to that in controls. All depressed patients was similar to that in controls. All depressed patients had a transient, approximately threefold increase in ir-beta-endorphin after each use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The increase of plasma ir-beta-endorphin level after ECT parallels the transient elevation of adrenocorticotropic hormone level reported by others and probably reflects a hypothalamic response to ECT.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D004723:Endorphins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone