Endogenous benzodiazepines

The presence of specific receptors for benzodiazepines (BDZ) suggested that these recognition sites could subserve a physiological role in the regulation of anxiety and sleep only if stimulated by endoigenous ligands. A polypeptide nmed DBI could be one putative endogenous ligands with diazepma binding inhibitory properties and with anxiogenic activity. Clinical experiments were designed in order to study the levels of the endogenous BDZs and in particular the relationship between BDZs and DBI in control