Endorphins: naloxone fails to alter experimental pain or mood in humans

In 30 human subjects, experimental pain was produced by either ischemia or cold-water immersion. In a double-blind procedure, intravenous doses of up to 10 milligrams of naloxone hydrochloride in saline were indistinguishable from similarly administered saline alone. There were no effects on subjective pain ratings, finger plethysmograph recordings, or responses to mood-state questionnaires. These laboratory procedures do not activate any functionally significant pain-attenuating or mood-altering effect of endorphins.

Acceptability of methadyl acetate (LAAM) as compared with methadone in a treatment program for heroin addicts

Heroin addicts who had been maintained for at least three months on LAAM (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol, methadyl acetate) and at least three months on methadone were asked to compare the two drugs on a number of criteria. The responses were highly selective, indicating that a desire to please the investigators was not an important factor. Overwhelmingly, the majority of patients reported that LAAM provided better heroin "blockade", that it was more effective in reducing craving, and that actual use of heroin was less on LAAM than on methadone. In other respects, such as sexual performance, sleep, and appetite, most patients perceived no difference between the drugs. In no respect was methadone preferred by a majority, although methadone was viewed more favorably on some criteria by some patients. These findings indicate that for most heroin addicts LAAM will be an acceptable maintenance drug.

Evidence against involvement of endorphins in sexual arousal and orgasm in man

In a double-blind study, intravenous injection of naloxone, at a dose sufficient to saturate the opiate (endorphin) receptors, had no effect on sexual arousal, penile erection, ejaculation, or orgasm in a human subject. Apparently, endorphins are not involved in these phenomena.

Is on-site urine testing of therapeutic value in a methadone treatment program?

Patients in a methadone maintenance clinic were randomly assigned to two groups: one to have urine tests on-site (by the EMIT system) with immediate feedback of results to patients and staff; the other to have urine specimens sent away to an offsite laboratory for testing by thin-layer chromatography. Although other advantages might justify the adoption of on-site testing in methadone programs, the method appeared to have little or no therapeutic advantage over customary off-site testing. There were negligibly small differences between the groups with respect to illicit drug use.

Some effects of naloxone on behavior in the mouse

The effect of naloxone on the latency of mice to enter a dark box was determined and the study of Jacob et al. (1974) on the effect of naloxone on hotplate behavior was replicated. Mice took significantly longer to enter a dark box after receiving 10 mg/kg of naloxone than did the saline controls. With the hot-plate technique, at all doses (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) except the lowest (0.03 mg/kg), naloxone-treated mice jumped from the hot plate significantly sooner than did the saline controls. No effect of naloxone on paw-lick latency was found. All the data confirm the findings of Jacob et al. (1974). The hotplate results suggest that prolonged exposure to a noxious stimulus may be necessary to activate the endorphin system.

Failure of methadone and levomethadyl acetate (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol, LAAM) maintenance to affect memory

Memory tests were administered to 30 patients taking methadone hydrochloride and 31 taking levomethadyl acetate (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol, LAAM) both prior to treatment and after one and three months of continuous treatment. A group of nonopiate using matched control subjects was administered the tests at similar intervals. No statistically significant difference in test performance was found among these groups at any of the three sessions. The methadone and control groups also did not differ significantly in the frequency of subjective reports of decreased memory function. Previous reports of memory deflicits during long-term methadone administration may be a result of comparing methadone and control groups at a single point in time and assuming that prior to methadone maintenance the groups were equivalent.

Distribution of endorphins (peptides with morphine-like pharmacological activity) in pituitary

Endorphin was found in the pituitary gland of rat, sheep, pig, cow and man. In bovine pituitary, highest concentrations have been found in that part of the posterior lobe containing the pars intermedia, although endorphin was also present in the pars distalis. Analysis by gel filtration and adsorption chromatography suggested that the major endorphins from rat, pig and cow pituitary were similar, with apparent molecular weights in the range 3000-3500 daltons.

Effects of naloxone on experimentally induced ischemic pain and on mood in human subjects

The hypothesis that painful stimuli activate the endogenous opioid (endorphin) system in humans was tested by examining the effect of the opiate antagonist naloxone on experimentally induced ischemic pain and on subjective mood ratings. Intravenous injections of saline or naloxone hydrochloride (2 and 10 mg) were administered under double-blind conditions to 12 subjects. Naloxone did not affect the pain ratings. However, a significant dose-related effect of naloxone on tension-anxiety was found, suggesting that the endorphins. like exogenously administered opiates, may have antianxiety properties.

Alterations in the mitogen responsiveness of lymphocytes from mice bearing Moloney sarcoma virus induced tumors

The effects of Moloney Sarcoma Virus (MSV) induced tumor growth dynamics on the blastogenic responsiveness of lymphocytes from BALB/c mice were investigated. Lymphocytes from spleen, thymus and lymph node pools were tested for responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A). Results showed a significant decrease in PHA-induced blastogenesis of all lymphocytes tested at the time of maximal tumor volume, with a return to normal responsiveness as the tumor regressed. In contrast, a differential dose dependent Con A response occurred in spleen and thymus lymphocytes. A decreased 3H-thymidine uptake occurred at optimal Con A dose, correlating with the PHA decrease. However, at a lower Con A dose an increased response was observed, beginning shortly before the PHA depression and continuing until regression of tumor began. This phenomena was not observed in lymph node lymphocytes. Based upon these observations, we suggest that the cell or cells responsible for the transient suppression of PHA responsiveness may be Con A responsive T lymphocytes.

In vitro effect of thymosin on T-lymphocyte rosette formation in rheumatic diseases

The in vitro effect of calf thymosin fraction 5 on T-rosette forming cells (E-RFC) was studied in Sjögren's syndrome (SS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The baseline percent E-RFC in sixteen normal controls was67-2 +/- 6-9. E-RFC was significantly decreased in SLE (42-6 +/- 17-0, P less than 0-0001) and SS (51-8 +/- 16-9, P less than 0-002) but not in RA (59-7 +/- 14-1). Ten of twenty-five SS patients and two of eleven RA patients had less than 50% E-RFC, and all showed a significant increase after incubation with thymosin (+ 16-5 +/- 6-5%, P less than 0-0001, and + 11 +/- 4-9%, P less than 0-001, respectively). Eleven of sixteen SLE patients had less than 50% E-RFC. Their response to thymosin was less dramatic but still statistically significant (+ 5-3 +/- 6-0%, P = 0-03). There was no response to thymosin in control subjects or in patients with baseline E-RFC greater than 50%. No increase in E-RFC was seen after incubation with calf spleen fraction 5 or known stimulators of cyclic-AMP. Sera from four active SLE patients, as well as the supernatant obtained from overnight culture of the lymphocytes from one SLE patients, were able to block T-rosette formation by normal lymphocytes, even after exposure to thymosin. Two 'blocking' sera were fractionated by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifucation. In one, the blocking capacity was found to reside in the 19S region containing IgM. In the second, the blocking capacity was in the 7S region containing IgG. Four 'blocking' lupus sera were depleted of IgG or IgM by immunoabsorption with goat anti-human IgG or goat anti-human IgM sepharose 4B. The blocking ability in three sera was partially decreased by depletion of either IgG or IgM, and in a fourth, only by removing IgG. The percent of lymphocytes staining with fluorescein labelled goat anti-human immunoglobulin antisera was increased in SLE patients (35-9 +/- 20-2 vs 21-7 +/- 5-9 in controls, P = 0-02). After overnight culture, the percent of staining cells decreased to normal values. These results suggest that thymosin can stimulate the differentiation of T-lymphocytes in patients with SS, SLE, and RA when the baseline E-RFC is decreased. Furthermore, the decreased percent E-RFC in SLE is probably due to cell-bound anti-lymphocyte antibodies that block sheep erythrocyte receptors on the T-cell and, possibly, thymosin receptors on undifferentiated lymphocytes.

Behavioural treatment of orgasmic dysfunction: a controlled study

Twenty-two anorgasmic women received 20 sessions of a multiple-technique behavioural therapy. The design included blind ratings by two independent assessors, multiple assessment instruments, and a waiting list control group. Treatment was significantly better than no treatment in terms of: (1) the percentage of patients experiencing orgasm during at least 50 per cent of sexual relations; (2) the percentage of women reporting satisfactory sexual relations at least 50 per cent of the time; (3) patients' ratings of positive reactions to various sexual behaviours; and (4) assessors' global clinical ratings. Significant improvement was also noted on the MMPI, IPAT, and Symptom Check List. Improvement was maintained at a follow-up average 9 months later. These results support the impression that a behavioural approach offers much promise in treating female orgasmic dysfunction.

Further characterization of morphine-like peptides (endorphins) from pituitary

Pituitary peptides with opioid pharmacologic action (endorphins) can exist in several forms with different basicities and molecular weights from about 3000 to less than 1000 daltons. Partial purification yielded an endorphin at least 4 times more potent than normorphine and 16 times more potent than the endogenous brain pentapeptide methionine enkephalin. It is proposed that pituitary endorphin or a similar peptide in brain may be the precursor of brain enkephalin.

Adult thymectomy prevention of the appearance of suppressor T cells which depress contact sensitivity to picryl chloride and reversal of adult thymectomy effect by thymus extract

Suppressor cells, which depress the passive transfer of contact sensitivity appear in the lymph nodes and spleen of mice injected with picryl sulfonic acid (PSA). These cells produce a soluble suppressor T cell product (s-TCP), and immune lymph node cells incubated in s-TCP fail to transfer contact sensitivity. This paper shows that the appearance of suppressor T cells following the injection of PSA was prevented by adult thymectomy (ATx). ATx also limited the production of s-TCP. However, ATx had no effect on the DNA synthesis which occurs in the lymph nodes of mice injected with PSA. The adverse effect of ATx on suppressor cells was completely reversed by a neonatal thymus graft placed under the renal capsule and partially reversed by grafts given 600 r in vitro and to a limited extent by grafts given 1000 r. The injection of thymus extract also reversed the effect of ATx whereas splenic extract was inactive. It is suggested that the suppressor T cell which depresses contact sensitivity is dependent on the presence of the thymus because it requires a thymus hormone, and not primarily because it belongs to a short-lived population which is rapidly renewed by cells coming from the thymus.

Side effects of levomethadone and racemic methadone in a maintenance program

Sixty-six patients participated in a double-blind, crossover study comparing side effects, drug use, clinic attendance, and dose changes on levomethadone and d,l (racemic) methadone. The hypothesis under examination was that dextromethadone, while adding no narcotic actions to the racemate, was contributing to side effects. An earlier single-blind pilot study showed that 9 out of 11 side effects improved while patients were receiving levomethadone, but this larger study did not duplicate those results. Analysis of 25 variables showed no significant between levo- and racemic methadone. There appears to be no advantage in levomethadone over racemic methadone in the treatment of patients in maintenance programs.

Gray scale shifts in ultrasound displays

Shifts in the displayed shades of gray were found in the initial evaluation of a gray scale ultrasound display. Quantitative measurements of these shifts were performed. These measurements, along with measurements of scan converter output and photographic exposure time, established television (TV) performance as the major cause of shifts. Random variations in photographic exposure time were shown to cause small random shifts. Recommendations are given to minimize the effects of these shifts in clinical sonograms. To minimize shifts, hardware modifications were made on a similar TV. These modifications substantially improved the TV performance.