Beta-Endorphin and Oxytocin in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Depression.

Olga V Roschina,Lyudmila A Levchuk,Anton J M Loonen,Nikolay A Bokhan,Elena V Epimakhova,Anastasiia S Boiko,Ekaterina V Michalitskaya,Svetlana A Ivanova,Innokentiy S Losenkov,German G Simutkin

doi:10.3390/jcm10235696

Abstract

Background: The neuropeptides β-endorphin and oxytocin are released into the bloodstream as hormones from the pituitary gland but also have an important function as neuroregulators in the forebrain. The blood levels of both polypeptides have been shown to reflect depressive symptoms. β-Endorphin, in particular, is also involved in abstinence from alcohol. Methods: The serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin were measured during the early withdrawal phase in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with (N = 35) or without (N = 45) depressive comorbidity and compared with those in healthy volunteers (N = 23). In addition to comparing the groups, the study examined whether serum levels correlated with various psychometric measures of dependence, depression and aggression, as well as with clinical characteristics of dependence. Results: Both serum levels of beta-endorphin and oxytocin were significantly lower in patients than those in healthy controls (p = 0.011 for β-endorphin and p = 0.005 for oxytocin, Kruskal–Wallis test). In patients with depressive comorbidity, the significance was greatest (p = 0.005 for β-endorphin and p = 0.004 for oxytocin, U-test). There was no correlation with clinical or psychometric parameters (p > 0.05, Spearman test), but beta-endorphin levels did correlate significantly with physical aggression (p = 0.026, Spearman test). Conclusions: Serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin are lower in patients with AUD, particularly in those with depressive comorbidity. β-Endorphin levels correlated with physical aggression according to the Buss–Durkee (BDHI) estimates.

Highlights

Β-Endorphin is a 31-amino acid polypeptide which binds to μ- and δ-opioid receptors, but the peptides derived from the other part of POMC bind to specific melanocortin receptors [3]
Patients in both research groups were comparable for the duration of alcohol use disorder (AUD): in the pure AUD group, median lasting alcohol abuse was 14.5 (8; 20) years; in the AUD-MD group, it was 13 (8; 19) years (p = 0.710, U-test)
The blood levels of oxytocin we found are lower in early abstinence of the AUD patients than in the healthy controls, especially in those with depressive comorbidity

Summary

Introduction

Β-Endorphin is one of the neuropeptides with both neuronal and endocrine localization and function [1] It is one of the opioid peptides and arises from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) [1,2], which produces adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), β-lipotropin (βLPH) and, as another component of the latter, β-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (β-MSH). Peptides from the POMC precursor are localized in corticotrophs of the anterior and in melanotrophs of the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland [4,5]. Methods: The serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin were measured during the early withdrawal phase in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with (N = 35) or without (N = 45) depressive comorbidity and compared with those in healthy volunteers (N = 23). Conclusions: Serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin are lower in patients with

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion