title: Regional distribution of pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides in the human brain.
abstract: The regional distribution of pro-opiocortin-derived peptides and methionine enkephalin was investigated in human brain post-mortem. Sequence-directed radioimmunoassays for beta-endorphin, gamma-lipotropin, adrenocorticotrophin, corticotrophin-like intermediate lobe peptide (ACTH18-39, CLIP) alpha-MSH and methionine enkephalin were used and 40 different human brain areas were assayed. The regional distribution of all the pro-opiomelanocortin-derived immunoreactivities were correlated with highest amounts of beta-endorphin, gamma-lipotropin and ACTH in the hypothalamus, amygdala, periventricular grey, substantia nigra and superior colliculus. The distribution of beta-endorphin, gamma-lipotropin and ACTH did not parallel the distribution of methionine-enkephalin immunoreactivity which was present in the globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens and substantia nigra. Gel exclusion chromatography (G-50) showed that pro-opiocortin-related peptides in the human hypothalamus and periventricular grey separated in positions consistent with the major immunoreactive forms being beta-endorphin, gamma-lipotropin, ACTH and CLIP.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D053497:Corticotropin-Like Intermediate Lobe Peptide; D004723:Endorphins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000032:analysis; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000032:analysis*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C028182:proopiocortin fragments; D053497:Corticotropin-Like Intermediate Lobe Peptide; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D008083:beta-Lipotropin