The role of galanin in metabolic disorders leading to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A large number of neurotransmitters have been identified that influence food intake when administered directly into the central nervous system of experimental animals. In some cases, there is evidence that endogenous release is stimulated by the presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract and that blockage of the signal results in an increase in meal size, indicating that these signals are likely to represent true satiety signals. Galanin, a 29-amino acid peptide originally isolated from porcine intestine, is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and the endocrine system. While the precise physiological role of galanin in the daily pattern of feeding behavior still remains to be fully elucidated, there may be a correlation between galanin and metabolic disorders leading to type 2 diabetes mellitus.