Multiple opioid ligands and receptors in the control of nociception

This paper summarizes the results of recent data characterizing the role of endogenous opioid peptides and opioid receptors in nociception. In addition, evidence is given that antinociception induced by intracerebroventricular injection of opioids into mouse brain is mediated by receptors resembling those mediating the inhibitory action of these substances on the rat vas deferens (putative epsilon-receptors). The endogenous ligands for these receptor are beta-endorphin and the peptides deriving from proenkephalin A.     

ACTH release in pituitary cell cultures. Effect of neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances on ACTH release induced by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF).

The effects of various neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances on the release of ACTH induced by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (HY-CRF) were investigated using monolayer cultured anterior pituitary cells. Test substances were given in combination with 0.05-0.1 hypothalamic extract (HE)/ml, because HE evoked a significant ACTH release and a linear dose response relationship was demonstrated sequentially between 0.0165 HE/ml and 0.5 HE/ml. Relative high doses of lysine-vasopressin showed a slight additive effect on the release of ACTH induced by 0.1 HE/ml. Leu-enkephalin, dopamine, prostaglandin E1 and E2 slightly reduced the release of ACTH induced by HY-CRF, but the inhibitory effect of these substances were not dose-related. Other tested substances including luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, thyrotropin releasing hormone, somatostatin, melanocyte stimulating hormone release inhibiting factor, beta-endorphin, neurotensin, substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, angiotensin II, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine and gamma-amino butyric acid showed neither agonistic nor antagonistic effect on the release of ACTH induced by HY-CRF. These results indicate that the release of ACTH is controlled specifically by HY-CRF and corticosterone, and modified slightly by some other substances such as vasopressin and prostaglandins, and that the effect of most other neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances is negligible or non-physiological at the pituitary level.     

Identification of beta-endorphin residues 14-25 as a region involved in the inhibition of calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase activity

The inhibition of the calmodulin-mediated stimulation of bovine brain cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity (3':5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate 5'-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.17) by the 31-residue opiate peptide beta-endorphin has been investigated. Using conditions in which porcine brain calmodulin (6 nM) is limiting (i.e., to give a 3-fold, Ca2+-dependent stimulation of enzymic activity toward cyclic guanosine monophosphate), the domain of beta-endorphin responsible for the inhibition was mapped by using a series of deletion peptides. beta-Endorphin exhibited an ED50 of several micromolar under the conditions employed, and several amino-terminal deletion peptides were essentially as inhibitory as the parent peptide. Methionine enkephalin and various carboxy-terminal deletion peptides had no demonstrable effect at concentrations of 100-200 microM. Peptides 1-25 and 1-27 (C' fragment) inhibited the calmodulin-dependent activity of phosphodiesterase, but higher concentrations were required than of beta-endorphin. Studies using combined amino- and carboxy-terminal deletion peptides demonstrate that peptide 14-25 was the shortest peptide examined that was capable of inhibiting calmodulin stimulation of phosphodiesterase activity under the conditions used. There was no evidence to indicate that the amino-terminal region comprising residues 1-13 of beta-endorphin contributes to the measured inhibition of calmodulin-stimulated enzymic activity. The circular dichroic spectra of calmodulin, beta-endorphin, and mixtures of the two were obtained, and the ellipticity of the peptide-protein mixtures at 221 nm exceeded that expected by assuming simple additivity. This finding is consistent with a direct interaction of beta-endorphin with calmodulin which seems to lead to enhanced helicity of one or both components.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

One of the two trout proopiomelanocortin messenger RNAs potentially encodes new peptides.

POMC is the precursor for a number of biologically active peptides such as ACTH, alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, and beta-endorphin. It is well known that some of these peptides, especially beta-endorphin, are involved in the regulation of reproductive functions in mammals. In order to investigate the possible role of POMC-derived peptides in the control of fish reproduction, we have cloned and sequenced two different trout POMC cDNAs called POMC A and POMC B. These cDNAs exhibited limited sequence homology (44%). The deduced amino acid sequences also showed weak similarity (43%), despite the high conservation of some peptide sequences (alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, and beta-endorphin). The POMC A coding sequence exhibited an unusual length, generating the longest endorphin ever sequenced. The long carboxy-terminal part of the beta-endorphin A contained three potential dibasic cleavage sites, allowing the occurrence of three new peptides: EQWGREEGEE, ALGE, and YHFQG. Using in situ hybridization, we found that the two POMC genes were expressed in the same pituitary cells. POMC A mRNA was the only one detectable in the hypothalamus of sexually inactive fish, whereas the two POMC genes were expressed in the hypothalamus of sexually active fish. These results indicate that two functional POMC genes are present in the rainbow trout. In POMC neurons, the expression of the POMC B gene is likely to be under the control of sexual steroids.     

Effect of acute ethanol in vivo and in vitro on the beta-endorphin system in the rat

Acute ethanol treatment in vivo (i.p. injection of 3.5 g ethanol/Kg B. wt.) stimulated the release of beta-endorphin like peptides by the pituitary gland as was indicated by the increased content of beta-endorphin like immunoreactivity (beta-EPLIR) in the plasma. Furthermore, a significant decrease in the anterior lobe content of beta-EPLIR was observed, while the decrease in the neurointermediate lobe beta-EPLIR content at 45 min after the i.p. ethanol injection was not statistically significant. In vitro incubation of neurointermediate lobes, from animals injected with either ethanol or saline, in the presence of 3H phenylalanine indicated that the content of beta-EPLIR in the incubation medium was increased, the content of the newly biosynthesized 3H-phenylalanine labelled proteins in the neurointermediate lobe extract was decreased, while the content of 3H-phenylalanine labelled pro-opiomelanocortin, beta-lipotropin and beta-endorphin in the neurointermediate lobes extract were not significantly changed by the ethanol treatment, though a small increase was observed. When neurointermediate lobes from untreated control animals were incubated for 3 hrs with 3H-phenylalanine in the presence or absence of 300 mg ethanol per 100 ml incubation medium, there was no significant difference in the beta-EPLIR content in the incubation medium, or in the content of 3H-phenylalanine labelled proteins, pro-opiomelanocortin, beta-lipotropin and beta-endorphin in the neurointermediate lobe extract. These results suggest that ethanol has little or no direct effect on the beta-endorphin peptides in the pars intermedia cells.     

The helminth Schistosoma mansoni expresses a peptide similar to human beta-endorphin and possesses a proopiomelanocortin-related gene

Opioid peptides, a group of transmitter substances with a high degree of phylogenic conservation, have many different functions, including a role in modulation of cells of the immune system. We have postulated the existence of such peptides in the parasite Schistosoma mansoni in view of their possible role in host-parasite interactions. In this report we show that beta-endorphin, which is a member of the opiate family and is derived from the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) precursor, is present in S. mansoni. Southern blots of cercarial genomic DNA, hybridized with two oligonucleotide probes complementary to highly conserved POMC sequences, showed a POMC-related gene in this trematode. Northern blot analysis of adult worm RNA indicated that this gene was actively transcribed. Significant amounts of beta-endorphin, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) were detected in all developmental stages of the parasite by radioimmunoassays with the use of antisera to human peptides. By means of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we found that the parasite beta-endorphin-like material and the human opiate have a high degree of homology. These results appear to constitute the first demonstration of a POMC-related gene transcribed in an invertebrate.     

Beta-endorphin is present in active and inactive forms in rat gastric antrum

Lipotropin, beta-endorphin and a series of peptides related to beta-endorphin were extracted from rat antrum and resolved by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography; the concentrations of the peptides were determined by radioimmunoassay. The major peptide with beta-endorphin immunoreactivity present in the antrum was lipotropin but it was accompanied by substantial quantities of beta-endorphin in its biologically active form; in addition there were minor quantities of a number of inactive beta-endorphin related peptides. The experiments demonstrate that in rat antrum gastrin can be accompanied by both active and inactive forms of beta-endorphin. The implications of post-translational processing mechanisms common to gastrin and beta-endorphin are discussed.     

Competitive binding of dynorphin-(1-13) and beta-endorphin to cerebroside sulfate in solution

Circular dichroism was used as a probe for competitive binding of two opioid peptides, dynorphin-(1-13) and beta-endorphin, with cerebroside sulfate, a membrane lipid thought to be part of the morphine receptor complex. The rationale was that bound beta-endorphin is partially helical but bound dynorphin-(1-13) remains unordered, thus making it possible to detect the degree of binding of beta-endorphin. The addition of dynorphin-(1-13) to a cerebroside sulfate solution of beta-endorphin invariably displaced beta-endorphin from the peptide-lipid complex, but the addition of beta-endorphin had little effect on dynorphin-(1-13) bound to the lipid. Similar results were obtained for competitive binding of the two peptides with two other amphiphiles, sodium dodecyl and decyl sulfate. The maximum number of binding sites on dynorphin-(1-13) and beta-endorphin was between five and six, which coincides with the five positively charged side chains plus an alpha NH+3 group at the NH2 terminus on both peptide molecules. The results support our working hypothesis that dynorphin-(1-13) may displace beta-endorphin bound to the receptor, which in turn can account for the inhibition of beta-endorphin-induced analgesia by dynorphin-(1-13).     

Age-related changes of methionine-enkephalin and beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin immunoreactivity in human CSF

Methionine-enkephalin (ME-IR) and beta-endorphin (BE-IR) immunoreactive material CSF concentrations have been measured in subjects of different ages affected by lumbar or cervical disk hernia. The two peptides exhibited different age-related trends. ME-IR levels rose significantly with age while no changes were observed in the case of BE-IR.     

Regulation of bioactive beta-endorphin processing in rat pars intermedia

Acid extracts of rat pituitary neuro-intermediate lobes have been shown by ion-exchange chromatography and radio-immunoassay to contain predominantly the inactive derivatives of beta-endorphin, alpha, N-acetyl beta-endorphin 1-27 and alpha, N-acetyl beta-endorphin 1-26; the biologically active form, beta-endorphin 1-31, is a minor component. In contrast, it was found that beta-endorphin generated in neuro-intermediate lobe cells in monolayer culture was less processed: the principal peptides related to bioactive beta-endorphin 1-31. When the cultured cells were incubated in the presence of 10(-5) M dopamine or 10(-6) M alpha-ergocryptine there was a marked increase in the degree of proteolysis and acetylation: the processing pattern reverted to that characteristic of the neuro-intermediate lobe in situ, with alpha-N-acetyl beta-endorphin 1-26 and alpha, N-acetyl beta-endorphin 1-27 as the prominent peptides. The results demonstrate that dopaminergic agents can influence the processing of beta-endorphin-related peptides in rat pars intermedia, indicating a new level at which the bioactivity may be regulated.     

Adrenocorticotropin and beta-endorphin are colocalized in the nervous system of rat duodenum

Adrenocorticotropin and beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivities were visualized by an immunohistochemical method on adjacent serial sections of the nervous system of the rat duodenum. Perikarya lying in the myenteric plexus and stained alternately for ACTH or beta-endorphin, showed on two adjacent serial sections a co-existence of these two peptides within one and the same perikarya. A co-localization of beta-endorphin and ACTH is not demonstrated with certainty in the submucous plexus. These results may be evidence for a common occurrence of the two peptides within perikarya of the rat duodenum.     

Opioid receptor selectivity of peptide models of beta-endorphin

Two peptides, designed to contain structural models of the proposed hydrophilic linker domain (residues 6-12) and amphiphilic alpha-helical domain (residues 13-29) in beta-endorphin, have been tested for their abilities to mimic the opioid receptor selectivity profile of the natural hormone. In competitive binding assays employing guinea-pig brain membranes, both peptides displayed a much higher affinity for mu- and delta-opioid receptors than for kappa opioid receptors. Relative to beta-endorphin, the peptide models were 2-3 times more potent in the mu and kappa receptor binding assays, and about equipotent in the delta receptor binding assay. In guinea-pig ileum assays, one peptide was equipotent to beta-endorphin and the other was twice as potent. Like beta-endorphin, their actions on this tissue were highly sensitive to naloxone antagonism, indicating that they were mediated by mu receptors and not kappa receptors. In view of the design of the two peptide models, and their minimal homology to the natural hormone, these results provide additional evidence in support to our proposal for the functional conformation of beta-endorphin.     

Action of pro-opiomelanocortin products on the rat vas deferens

Behavioral study of pro-opiomelanocortin products indicates that beta-endorphin and corticotrophin-like peptides have antagonistic effects. However, these peptides have similar actions on the rat vas deferens. beta-endorphin, alpha-MSH and ACTH each inhibit electrically evoked contraction of the duct, but the corticotrophin derived peptides are tenfold more potent on a molar basis (ED50 = 9 nM). Pharmacological analysis shows that the action of corticotrophin-derived peptides does not involve an opiate receptor mechanism. The results are discussed in terms of the central action of the peptides.     

Minireview. Peptides and the blood-brain barrier

Most neuropeptides are known to occur both in the central nervous system and in blood. This, as well as the occurrence of central nervous peptide effects after peripheral administration, show the importance of studying the relationships between the peptides in the two compartments. For many peptides, such as the enkephalins, TRH, somatostatin and MIF-1, poor penetration of the blood-brain barrier was shown. In other cases, including beta-endorphin and angiotensin, peptides are rapidly degraded during or just after their entry into brain or cerebrospinal fluid. Some peptides, such as insulin, delta-sleep-inducing peptide, and the lipotropin-derived peptides, enter the cerebrospinal fluid to a slight or moderate extent in the intact form. Many peptide hormones, such as insulin, calcitonin and angiotensin, act directly on receptors in the circumventricular organs, where the blood-brain barrier is absent. Oxytocin, vasopressin, MSH, and an MSH-analog alter the properties of the blood-brain barrier, which may result in altered nutritient supply to the brain. In conclusion, the diffusion of most peptides across the brain vascular endothelium seems to be severely restricted. There are, however, several alternative routes for peripheral peptides to act on the central nervous system. The blood-brain barrier is a major obstacle for the development of pharmaceutically useful peptides, as in the case of synthetic enkephalin-analogs.     

Beta-lipotropin is the major component of the plasma opioid response to surgical stress in humans

There is growing experimental evidence that beta-endorphin immunoreactivity is raised by surgical stress in patients undergoing general anesthesia. As the assay methods employed to date did not allow to fully discriminate between beta-endorphin and its immediate precursor, beta-lipotropin, we have investigated in the present study plasma levels of these two peptides by separating them by chromatography on plasma extracts prior to radioimmunoassay in eighteen surgical patients under general anesthesia and eight under spinal anesthesia.Beta-lipotropin, but not beta-endorphin, plasma levels were found to be significantly elevated during surgery in the general anesthesia group, while no change was found in either peptide concentration in the spinal one. Cortisol plasma levels also increased significantly 90 minutes after the beginning of surgery, when they were positively correlated to beta-lipotropin ones. Although the sampling time we adopted may have prevented us from detecting an early peak of beta-endorphin during the first 30 minutes of surgery, the major component of the pituitary opioid response to surgical stress appears to be related to beta-lipotropin. This is in agreement with results of experimental work on various kinds of stress in animals and humans and seems to rule out a role for plasma beta-endorphin in post-operative analgesia.     

beta-endorphin: synthesis and biological activity of shortened peptide chains

Three analogs of beta-endorphin have been synthesized by the solid-phase method: betac-endorphin-(1--5)-(28--31), betac-endorphin-(6--31) and betah-endorphin-(1--5)-(16--31). The analgesic activities of these synthetic peptides relative to that of the parent molecule are reported. All three peptides at high doses exhibit either no or much weaker analgesic activity than beta-endorphin. These data suggest that the entire beta-endorphin molecule is necessary for full in vivo analgesic activity.     

Reduced cerebrospinal fluid levels of immunoreactive pro-opiomelanocortin related peptides (including beta-endorphin) in anorexia nervosa

The discovery that the endogenous opioid peptides contribute to the modulation of appetitive behavior and neuroendocrine function has raised questions as to whether disturbances of opioids contributes to the pathophysiology of eating disorders. To assess central nervous system (CNS) beta-endorphin in patients with anorexia nervosa we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-endorphin concentrations before, and at intervals after weight correction. In addition, we measured three sister peptides (beta-lipotropin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and the N-terminal fragment) derived from the same precursor molecule, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) to determine whether possible disturbances might extend to sister peptides. Underweight anorectics (58 +/- 5% of average body weight (ABW), n = 10) had significantly lower CSF concentrations of all 4 peptides compared to healthy controls (102 +/- 10% ABW, n = 11). CSF concentrations of all 4 POMC-related peptides were found to be significantly increased when the same anorectics were restudied 4 to 6 weeks after weight gain (83 +/- 4% ABW). After weight gain, levels of CSF beta-endorphin, beta-lipotropin, and ACTH were similar to controls, whereas levels of CSF N-POMC remained significantly less than controls. Another group of women, previously underweight with anorexia nervosa, but weight-restored (93 +/- 11% ABW, n = 12) for greater than 1 year had CSF concentrations of all 4 POMC-related peptides that were similar to controls. We conclude that underweight anorectics have state-associated disturbances of CNS beta-endorphin as well as other POMC-related peptides. These abnormalities are part of the neurobiological syndrome of anorexia nervosa and may contribute to the characteristic alterations in behavior and neuroendocrine function.     

Pituitary hormones in the brain: what is their function?

Data concerning the presence in the central nervous system of the anterior and intermediate lobe hormones ACTH, beta-lipotropin, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, beta-endorphin, prolactin, growth hormone, gonadotrophic hormone, and thyrotropin stimulating hormone are reviewed. Available evidence for the ACTH-lipotropin family of peptides indicates that synthesis can occur in brain as well as in pituitary. Although behavioral effects have been described for some of these peptides and their fragments (ACTH, alpha-MSH, beta-endorphin, prolactin), the physiological relevance and the mechanisms of such effects, the nature of the biosynthetic pathways involved, and the factors regulating the brain concentrations of these peptides remain to be explored.     

Influence of N-terminal acetylation and C-terminal proteolysis on the analgesic activity of beta-endorphin.

Removal of one, two and four amino-acid residues from the C-terminus of beta-endorphin ('lipotropin C-Fragment', lipotropin residues 61--91) led to the formation of peptides with progressively decreased analgesic potency; there was no change in the persistence of the analgesic effects. The four C-terminal residues are thus important for the activity of beta-endorphin, but not for the duration of action. Removal of eight amino-acid residues from the N-terminus provided a peptide that had no specific affinity for brain opiate receptors in vitro and was devoid of analgesic properties. The N-terminal sequence of beta-endorphin is therefore necessary for the production of analgesia, whereas the C-terminal residues confer potency. The N alpha-acetyl form of beta-endorphin had no specific affinity for brain opiate receptors in vitro and possessed no significant analgesic properties. Since lipotropin C'-Fragment (lipotropin residues 61--87) and the N alpha-acetyl derivative of beta-endorphin occur naturally in brain and pituitary and are only weakly active or inactive as opiates, it is suggested that proteolysis at the C-terminus and acetylation of the N-terminus of beta-endorphin may constitute physiological mechanisms for inactivation of this potent analgesic peptide.     

The ontogeny of immunoreactive beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin in the rat testis

We have investigated the ontogeny of immunoreactive beta-endorphin (i-beta E) in the testes of rats from 5 to 150 days of age. i-beta E was measured by RIA in acid extracts of decapsulated testes and characterized by gel filtration chromatography. Significant age-related differences in both the levels and type of i-beta E were observed. Total levels of i-beta E in the testes were very low and barely detectable from 5-20 days of age, but rose sharply in parallel with testes weights from 20-60 days of age; thereafter, no significant changes in i-beta E were found through 150 days of age. Concentrations of i-beta E, expressed in pmol/g testis, fell precipitously between days 5 and 10 and remained relatively constant from 10-150 days. Most of the i-beta E at 5 and 15 days chromatographed like authentic beta-endorphin. However, with the onset of puberty (30-35 days) and during sexual maturation, much of the total i-beta E chromatographed like its' precursor beta-lipotropin (beta LPH). Hypophysectomy decreased the weight and total i-beta E levels of the testes to the same extent without altering the concentrations of i-beta E or the chromatographic pattern of i-beta E. These results indicate that beta E-like and beta LPH-like peptides are present in the rat testis and that age-related changes in both the levels and type of i-beta E correlate with various structural and functional aspects of testicular development.