Immunoreactivity for beta-endorphin in LH-RH neurons of the fetal human hypothalamus.

A peptide immunochemically related to beta-endorphin was detected in some LH-RH neurons of the fetal human hypothalamus by comparison of adjacent sections stained for beta-endorphin and for LH-RH. In the same section, by successive staining and after antibody elution, both peptides were again revealed in the same neuron. The significance of the presence of the beta-endorphin-like material in LH-RH neurons is discussed.