Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
J Neurochem. 2010 Oct;115(2):475-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06947.x. Epub 2010 Aug 30.
Neuropeptide S (NPS) is known to produce anxiolytic-like effects and facilitate extinction of conditioned fear. Catecholaminergic neurotransmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been suggested to be crucially involved in these brain functions. In the current study, we investigated the effect of NPS on the release of dopamine and serotonin in the mPFC by in vivo microdialysis in rats. Central administration of NPS dose-dependently enhanced extracellular levels of dopamine and its major metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, with maximal effects lasting up to 120 min. In contrast, no effect on serotonergic neurotransmission was detected. Dopamine release in the mPFC has been previously linked to modulation of anxiety states and fear extinction. The present results may thus provide a physiological and anatomical basis for the reported effects of NPS on these behaviors.
神经肽 S（NPS）已知具有抗焦虑样作用，并有助于条件性恐惧的消退。中前额皮质（mPFC）中的儿茶酚胺能神经传递被认为对这些大脑功能至关重要。在目前的研究中，我们通过在大鼠体内微透析研究了 NPS 对 mPFC 中多巴胺和 5-羟色胺释放的影响。中央给予 NPS 剂量依赖性地增强了多巴胺及其主要代谢物 3,4-二羟苯乙酸的细胞外水平，最大作用持续长达 120 分钟。相比之下，对 5-羟色胺能神经传递没有影响。mPFC 中的多巴胺释放先前与焦虑状态和恐惧消退的调节有关。因此，这些结果可能为 NPS 对这些行为的报道效果提供生理和解剖学基础。
