{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T18:39:34Z","timestamp":1777919974044,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"S. Karger AG","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]],"date-time":"2008-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1207094400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]],"date-time":"2008-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1207094400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Neuroendocrinology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The influence of adrenalectomy and corticosterone substitution was investigated on Leu-Phe cleaving endopeptidase activity and on the levels of \u03b3-endorphin and \u03b2-endorphin in the pituitary gland and the brain. The enzyme activity was quantitated by a specific radiometric assay based on the cleavage of the Leu17-Phe18 bond in a NH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;\/sub&gt; and COOH-terminally protected synthetic substrate wich was analogous to \u03b2-endorphin-(15\u201319). This activity may mimick the formation of \u03b3-endorphin. \u03b2-Endorphin and \u03b3-endorphin were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. After 14 days of adrenalectomy enzyme activity had increased in anterior (15%) and neurointermediate lobes of the pituitary gland (30%), hypothalamus (25%), and liver (15%). This increase was prevented when the adrenalectomized animals were subjected to chronic corticosterone substitution by subcutaneous implantation of a pellet of 100 mg. Extirpation of only the adrenal medulla did not affect the Leu-Phe cleaving activity. Enzyme activity in the septum, hippocampus, and cerebellum had not changed after adrenalectomy. Determination of immunoreactive levels of \u03b3- and \u03b2-endorphins showed that in the anterior pituitary gland \u03b3- and \u03b2-endorphins had increased by 275 and 300%, respectively, 14 days after adrenalectomy. No significant changes were observed in endorphin levels of the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and septum. The results indicate that Leu-Phe cleaving endopeptidase activity is sensitive to glucocorticoids in tissues containing proopiomelanocortin-producing cells, i.e., anterior and neurointermediate pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. In the anterior pituitary gland it is correlated with the levels of \u03b3- and \u03b2-endorphins.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1159\/000124883","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]],"date-time":"2008-04-02T11:56:21Z","timestamp":1207137381000},"page":"7-12","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Leu-Phe Cleaving Endopeptidase Activity, \u03b3-Endorphin, and \u03b2-Endorphin in the Rat Pituitary Gland and Brain"],"prefix":"10.1159","author":[{"given":"Jos L.M.","family":"Lebouille","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Peter H.","family":"Burbach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ronald","family":"de Kloet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Victor M.","family":"Wiegant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cornell G.J.","family":"Sweep","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"David","family":"de Wied","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"127","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]]},"container-title":["Neuroendocrinology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/124883","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1159\/000124883","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T19:16:59Z","timestamp":1777663019000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article\/doi\/10.1159\/000124883"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/000124883","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0028-3835","1423-0194"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0028-3835","type":"print"},{"value":"1423-0194","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,2]]}}}