Elsevier

Life Sciences

Volume 41, Issue 2, 13 July 1987, Pages 169-176
Life Sciences

Endorphinergic modulation of immune function: Potent action of the dipeptide glycyl-L-glutamine

https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(87)90490-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Glycyl-L-glutamine (GLG), the carboxy terminal dipeptide of B-endorphin, inhibits brainstem neuronal activity. It also occurs along with B-endorphin in pituitary secretory vesicles suggesting a neurosecretory role for this dipeptide. We have evaluated potential immunoregulatory actions of this compound using the Phytohemaglutinin (PHA) blastogenesis and the concanavalin A (ConA) suppressor cell induction assays. GLG in low doses (10−12M) enhanced the response of human lymphocytes to PHA induced blastogenesis, however; with higher doses of the dipeptide (10−7M) immunosuppression was consistently observed. In the suppressor cell induction assay, when GLG was used together with ConA, we observed a dose-dependent inhibition of suppressor activity. These results clearly indicate that GLG produces a dose dependent bidirectional modulation of at least two indicies of immune function, and confirm the presence of a second pituitary peptide with the potential for potent immunomodulatory action.

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