Mood and behavioral effects of physostigmine on humans are accompanied by elevations in plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol.
Administration of physostigmine to normal volunteers produced significant elevations in plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin immunoreactivity as well as alterations in mood, cognition, and behavior. These observations might be explained by a cholinergically mediated stress syndrome. However, peak elevations in plasma beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (but not in plasma cortisol) were significantly correlated with physostigmine-induced increases in depression ratings. These results suggest that a cholinergically mediated beta-endorphin pathway may be involved in the observed affective changes.
D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004723:Endorphins; D010830:Physostigmine; D006854:Hydrocortisone