Immunoreactive beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in cerebrospinal fluid.

Immunoreactive beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (beta-M.S.H.) has been detected in cerebrospinal fluid (C.S.F.). Samples of C.S.F. obtained from 30 patients gave a mean (+/- S.E.M.) concentration of 60.1 +/- 8.0 ng/1 of beta-M.S.H. This is significantly greater than the mean (+/- S.E.M.) plasma concentration of 16.1 +/- 1.1 ng/1 for normal adults. There was no relationship to disease state and no correlation was found between C.S.F. concentration of beta-M.S.H. and C.S.F. total protein. This finding of high concentrations of beta-M.S.H. in the C.S.F. therefore appears to be physiological and suggests that immunoreactive beta-M.S.H. may have an action on the central nervous system in man.