Hg. Bernstein et al., REMARKABLE BETA-ENDORPHINERGIC INNERVATION OF HUMAN CEREBRAL-CORTEX AS REVEALED BY IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY, Neuroscience letters, 215(1), 1996, pp. 33-36
beta-Endorphin immunoreactivity has been localized in 12 regions of th
e post mortem human cerebral cortex by using a polyclonal antiserum sp
ecifically recognizing the peptide. Cell bodies and proximal dendrites
of certain cortical neurons (mostly interneurons) were densely popula
ted with nerve endings immunoreactive for beta-endorphin. These 'endor
phinoceptive' nerve cells were most abundantly present in the cingulat
e cortex as well as in the Gyri frontales superior and medius. In othe
r cortical areas they appeared with much lower frequency (Gyri ambiens
, semilunaris, parahippocampalis, temporalis). Our data show that the
human cerebral cortex receives an endorphinergic innervation which mig
ht be of potential interest with regard to certain neuropsychiatric an
d neurodegenerative disorders.