The influence of deficit of endogenous neuropeptides on the clinical course of coronary heart disease

Abstract

The study is aimed at elucidating the relationship between the blood b-endorphin level in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) with metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular risk factors and evaluating the possibility to correct them by dalargin therapy. The study included 123 patients (61 men and 62 women) at the mean age 57.6±5,2 years randomized into 2 groups. The patients of group 1 (n=63) were given the standard treatment, those of group 2 (n=60) additionally received 2 mg/day of dalargin for 10 days (3 courses during 3 months). The group of comparison (n=84) contained 84 CHD patients without MS. Biochemical and immunological characteristics were measured by immunoenzyme and immunochemiluminescent assays before and 3 months after treatment. The study revealed inverse correlation between b-endorphin levels and those of leptin, insulin, cortisol, TNF-a, IL-6, oxidized LDLP, triglycerides (TG), and HDLP cholesterol. Standard therapy resulted in a 6.5% reduction ofinsulin level, 9,4% , 6,1%, and 17,4% reduction of TNF-a , IL-6, TG levels respectively; it increased the HDLP cholesterol level by 10,3% (p<0,05 for all values) but did not change other parameters of interest. Dalargin therapy caused a 32,6% and 17,4%, rise in the b-endorphin and HDLP cholesterol levels but decreased leptin, insulin, cortisol, TNF-a, IL-6, LDLP, and tG levels by 36,1%, 22,4%, 23,9%, 55%, 56,3%, 14% and 27,2% respectively (p<0,001). It is concluded that the decrease of the blood b-endorphin level in the patients with coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome is associated with enhanced blood atherogenicity, hyperinsulinemia, hypercortisolemia, activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation. Supplementation of conventional therapy with dalargin results in the increased b-endorphin level, enhanced anti-atherogenic effect, reduced activity ofpro-inflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation, reduction of leptin, insulin and cortisol levels.