The effect of ethanol on the biosynthesis and regulation of opioid peptides

Summary Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are serious health problems. Alcohol is known to influence the activity of a number of biological systems, for example the hormonal and neuronal systems. One of the biological systems whose activity is greatly influenced by alcohol is the endogenous opiate system. Alcohol modifies the function of both opiate receptors and opioid peptides. In fact it has been proposed that many of the effects of ethanol are mediated by its effects on the endogenous opiate system. This review will present results from various laboratories on the effects of acute and chronic ethanol treatments on various species, and on the release, biosynthesis and post-translational processing of the endorphins, enkephalins and dynorphins, the three known families of endogenous opioid peptides. Furthermore, the effect of acute and chronic ethanol consumption on the -endorphin system in man, and the possible implications of the functional activity of the endogenous opiate system for the genetic predisposition to alcoholism will be discussed.     

Synthesis ofO 1.5-(β-D-galactopyranosyl) [DMet2, Hyp5] enkephalin amide,a new highly potent analgesic enkephalin-related glycosyl peptide

Summary A new series of O-glycosyl enkephalins has been prepared, following a convergent strategy, with high chemical yields. The galactosyl analogue,O ^1.5-(-D-galactopyranosyl) [DMet², Hyp⁵] enkephalin amide proved to be one of the most potent in vivo opioid agonists synthesized up to now.     

条件性味觉厌恶学习对大鼠脑区亮脑啡肽表达的影响

比较观察了建立条件性味觉厌恶学习前后，成年SD大鼠脑丘脑内内源性亮脑啡肽的表达水平。发现条件性味觉厌恶学习组大鼠丘脑外侧背核、丘脑内侧背核外侧部以及丘脑腹后内侧核内亮脑啡肽免疫阳性神经元数目显著少于对照组。揭示脑内一些核团亮脑啡肽表达在条件性味觉厌恶学习过程中发挥作用。     

去甲肾上腺素与亮氨酸脑啡肽在蟾蜍离体肠段收缩中的作用

实验采用中华大蟾蜍(Bufo Bufo gargarizans)离体肠段,观察了去甲肾上腺素(NE)和亮氨酸脑啡肽(L—ENK)对蟾蜍离体肠段的自发收缩和电场诱发收缩中的作用,并对递质的相互作用以及递质的作用与动物机能状态的关系进行了初步分析.结果表明,NE 对饱食状态下的肠段自发及诱发收缩具有抑制作用,而对较长时间饥饿状态下的肠段产生兴奋作用,L—ENK 的作用相反,经典递质和肽递质的作用可相互调节和变化,从而适应不同的机能状态.     

Coexistence of peptides with classical neurotransmitters

Summary In the present article the fact is emphasized that neuropeptides often are located in the same neurons as classical transmitters such as acetylcholine, 5-hydroxy-tryptamine, catecholamines, -aminobutyric acid (GABA) etc. This raises the possibility that neurons produce, store and release more than the one messenger molecule. The exact functional role of such coesisting peptides is often difficult to evaluate, especially in the central nervous system. In the periphery some studies indicate apparently meaningful interactions of different types with the classical transmitter, but other types of actions including trophic effects have been observed. More recently it has been shown that some neurons contain more than one classical transmitter, e.g. 5-HT plus GABA, further underlining the view that transfer of information across synapses may be more compex than perhaps hitherto assumed.