[The regulatory effects of opioid peptides--enkephalins--in controlling the activities of the cardiovascular system].

In this review we analyse the experimental and clinical findings demonstrating important regulatory significance of met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin and their derivatives in the control of cardiovascular system activity. Enkephalin-positive immunoreactivity is revealed in the heart of different species of animals, and their cardiovascular effects are established in numerous investigations. It is determined that cardiac effects of enkephalins are essentially associated with modulatory influence at the presynaptic and postsynaptic levels on the activity of extracardiac neural regulation. Cardiovascular effects of endogenous opioid system are extremely important in developing of myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias and congestive heart failure. The cellular mechanisms of opioid effects are associated with stimulation of mu- and delta-subtypes of opiate receptors which stimulation of mu- and delta-subtypes of opiate receptors which are coupled with conductivity of ion channels, adenylate cyclase activity, phosphoinositide turnover and calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kynases.