Open AccessPlasma β‐Endorphin‐Like Immunoreactivity During Pregnancy, Parturition, Puerperium and in Newborn
Author(s) -
Živný J.,
Kobilková J.,
Vorliček F.,
Bendl J.,
Zapadlo M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016348609158367
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , obstetrics , postpartum period , gynecology , genetics , biology
Mean β‐endorphin‐like immunoreactivity in the plasma of 10 normal women in the 10th month of pregnancy was 144.3±7.5 ng/1. During labor in 7 women its immunoreactivity was increased and peaked at the time of vaginal delivery (1 162±69 ng/1). Two hours after delivery, β‐endor‐phin‐like immunoreactivity was significantly decreased (297±39 ng/1) and after 4 to 5 days was 155±33 ng/1. Beta‐endorphin‐like immunoreactivity in the cord plasma (523±30 ng/1) was significantly lower than in the mother at the time of vaginal delivery and in venous blood of newborns 24 hours post partum was 156±11 ng/1. the correlation between β‐endorphin‐like immunoreactivity in the mother and the cord blood plasma was not determined. At the time of the fetal hypxia, β‐endorphin‐like immunoreactivity in the cord blood plasma was increased (2741 ng/1). We conclude that immunoreactive β‐endorphin influences a stress reaction in the mother and fetus at the time of labor. During intra‐uterine life the fetus probably produces its own immunoreactive‐like β‐endorphin independently of the maternal production of this peptide.