Abstract
Previous animal and human studies have suggested an analgesic effect of phenylalanine involving endogenous opioid peptides. Phenylalanine was measured by a HPLC method with electrochemical detection and β-endorphin by a specific radioimmunoassay in 14 lumbar cerebrospinal fluid samples from 13 patients with phenylketonuria. Cerebrospinal fluid β-endorphin was also determined in 6 age-matched control subjects. We found a trend towards a higher β-endorphin level in phenylketonuria (median 26.0 pM, range 13.0–37.8) than in the control subjects (20.6 pM, 12.7–28.0), P = 0.13. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of phenylalanine and β-endorphin were significantly correlated ( r = 0.68, P = 0.008). The results support the hypothesis that phenylalanine modifies the central endogenous opioid system.
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