Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada H4H 1R3.
Brain Res. 2010 Feb 16;1314:194-205. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.077. Epub 2009 Sep 25.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) mediates its physiological effects through at least four receptors known as Y(1), Y(2), Y(4), and Y(5). This peptide is one of the most abundant peptides in the central nervous system and is highly conserved throughout evolution. The most abundant receptors of the NPY family, the Y(1) and Y(2) receptors, are densely expressed in the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. These brain regions are particularly associated with mood disorders, stress responses, and memory processing. With this in mind, researchers suggested the involvement of NPY as well as the Y(1) and Y(2) receptors in affective disorders. Earlier studies showed that NPY and the Y(1) and Y(2) receptors mediate some aspects of depression-like disorders and stress responses in rodents. Recent research also suggests the involvement of the Y(4) and Y(5) receptors in emotion-related processes in rodents. In addition, human studies have consistently suggested a role for NPY in stress responses, whereas conflicting data have been obtained in relation to the role of NPY in depression-related illnesses. However, novel evidence from polymorphisms in the prepro-NPY gene has shed new light on the potential clinical relevance of NPY in depression. In this article, we review the literature from both animal and human studies regarding the contribution of NPY and its receptors in depression and stress.
神经肽 Y（NPY）通过至少四种受体发挥其生理作用，这些受体分别被称为 Y(1)、Y(2)、Y(4) 和 Y(5)。这种肽是中枢神经系统中最丰富的肽之一，在整个进化过程中高度保守。NPY 家族中最丰富的受体 Y(1)和 Y(2)受体在皮质、海马体和杏仁核中高度表达。这些大脑区域与情绪障碍、应激反应和记忆处理特别相关。考虑到这一点，研究人员认为 NPY 以及 Y(1)和 Y(2)受体参与了情感障碍。早期的研究表明，NPY 和 Y(1)和 Y(2)受体在啮齿动物的某些抑郁样障碍和应激反应中发挥作用。最近的研究还表明，Y(4)和 Y(5)受体在啮齿动物的情绪相关过程中发挥作用。此外，人类研究一致表明 NPY 参与了应激反应，而关于 NPY 在与抑郁相关的疾病中的作用则存在相互矛盾的数据。然而，来自前体 NPY 基因多态性的新证据为 NPY 在抑郁症中的潜在临床相关性提供了新的线索。在本文中，我们回顾了来自动物和人类研究的文献，探讨了 NPY 及其受体在抑郁和应激中的作用。
