Isolation of a hemoglobin-derived opioid peptide from cerebrospinal fluid of patients with cerebrovascular bleedings

Abstract

The hemorphins are peptides with opioid activity, which are enzymatically released from hemoglobin. A decapeptide identical to the sequence 32-41 of the beta-, delta-, gamma- or epsilon-chains of hemoglobin has been isolated from human ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The peptide, designated LVV-hemorphin-7, was recovered in relatively high amounts (115-300 pmol per ml) from samples of patients with cerebrovascular bleedings, but was not detectable in control CSF. Its identity with the hemoglobin fragment was confirmed by mass spectrometry and gas-phase sequencing.