The role of enkephalins in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction.

Finding opiate receptors in the heart, definition of their role in contractility and blood flow regulation (2) as well as our previous data on the decrease of Leu-enkephalins contents in the blood of patients with myocardial infarction (5) are the theoretical prerequisites for the elucidation of the role of Leu-enkephalins in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction.