Migration of neutrophils across endothelial monolayers is stimulated by treatment of the monolayers with beta-endorphin.

To study the effects of the cytokine and neuroendocrine hormone beta-endorphin on the transendothelial migration of neutrophils, bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were grown to confluence on PVP-free polycarbonate filters coated with gelatin. Pretreatment of endothelial cell cultures with 1 to 10 mumol/liter of beta-endorphin for 60 min resulted in significantly stimulated migration of subsequently added neutrophils across the endothelial monolayer. The number of neutrophils that migrated across beta-endorphin-treated endothelial cells was similar to the number that traversed untreated monolayers in response to gradients of formylpeptide. Consistently, an additive effect was seen when migration was induced by both beta-endorphin pretreatment of the endothelial cells and a formylpeptide chemotactic gradient. When used at optimal concentration, beta-endorphin was equally effective in stimulating neutrophil migration as was tumor necrosis factor-alpha. In the absence of formylpeptide the effect of apical surface exposure of endothelial cells to beta-endorphin versus basal surface exposure was comparable. Stimulation of neutrophil transendothelial migration in this system appeared to be specific and mediated by opiate receptors, since excess concentration of naloxone completely abolished the effect of beta-endorphin but not of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These results suggest that beta-endorphin, released during stress, may act upon the endothelium to promote emigration of neutrophils from the vasculature.