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. 1978 Oct;75(10):5221–5225. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.10.5221

beta-Endorphin induces nonconvulsive limbic seizures.

S J Henriksen, F E Bloom, F McCoy, N Ling, R Guillemin
PMCID: PMC336298  PMID: 283426

Abstract

The endogenous opioid peptide, beta-endorphin, induces nonconvulsive limbic epileptiform activity when administered intraventricularly to rats. Epileptiform activity is elicited by beta-endorphin in doses that are devoid of analgesic or behavioral signs. Equimolar intraventricular doses of morphine or of the enkephalin analog [DAIa2,Met5]enkephalin-NH2 fail to elicit this limbic epileptiform activity. These observations, together with the recent immunohistochemical localization of beta-endorphin to midline limbic structures, suggest that beta-endorphin may have an important role in the regulation of limbic excitability.

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Selected References

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