b-endorphin acetate

β-Endorphin (1-27) (human) acetate, existing in the hypophysis cerebri and hypothalamus, exhibits antinociception activity. β-Endorphin (1-27) (human) acetate is an agonist of opioid receptor, showing preferred affinity for μ-opioid receptor and δ-opioid

β-Endorphin (1-27) is an endogenous peptide that binds to μ-, δ-, and κ-opioid receptors (Kis = 5.31, 6.17, and 39.82 nM, respectively, in COS-1 cells expressing rat receptors). It binds to rat and mouse brain membrane preparations (IC50s = 1.1 and 5.7 nM, respectively) and induces chemotaxis of human monocytes in vitro when used at a concentration of 1 nM. Intracerebroventricular administration of β-endorphin (1-27) increases the latency to tail withdrawal in response to thermal stimulation in mice with a median antinociceptive dose (AD50) of 1,500 pmol per animal. It inhibits antinociception induced by β-endorphin in mice in response to thermal stimuli when administered at a dose of 65 pmol per animal. In rats, β-endorphin (1-27) does not affect drug-associated place preference when administered at doses up to 20 μg, i.c.v., but inhibits β-endorphin-induced place preference when administered at a dose of 10 μg per animal.

β-Endorphin (β-EP) is an endogenous opioid neuropeptide with diverse biological activities. It is produced via piomelanocortin cleavage in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and in lymphocytes, then migrates to its sites of action which include plasma, gut, skin, placenta, cerebrospinal fluid, and cardiac tissues. β-EP induces concentration-dependent decreases in electrically stimulated contraction of the mouse vas deferens that can be reversed by the μ-opioid antagonist CTP and δ-opioid antagonist ICI 174,864. In vivo, β-EP (5 μg, i.c.v.) slows gastrointestinal transit in mice. β-EP (0.5 or 5 μg, i.c.v.) stimulates food intake in rats for 4 to 6 hours, however, this effect is not prolonged with continuous infusion. It antagonizes the appetite-suppressive effects of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) for the first three days post administration. β-EP also reduces paralytic demyelination induced by the murine coronavirus MHV-JHM in immunocompetent, but not irradiated or immune-incompetent, mice and rats.