IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, 00179 Rome, Italy.
Peptides. 2011 Jun;32(6):1320-3. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2011.03.023. Epub 2011 Apr 5.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino acid peptide which exerts several regulatory actions within peripheral and central nervous systems. Among NPY actions preclinical and clinical data have suggested that the anxiolytic and antidepressant actions of NPY may be related to its antagonist action on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are proteins involved in the growth, survival and function of neurons. In addition to this, a possible role of neurotrophins, particularly BDNF, in HPA axis hyperactivation has been proposed. To characterize the effect of NPY on the production of neurotrophins in the hypothalamus we exposed young adult rats to NPY intraperitoneal administration for three consecutive days and then evaluated BDNF and NGF synthesis in this brain region. We found that NPY treatment decreased BDNF and increased NGF production in the hypothalamus. Given the role of neurotrophins in the hypothalamus, these findings, although preliminary, provide evidence for a role of NPY as inhibitor of HPA axis and support the idea that NPY might be involved in pathologies characterized by HPA axis dysfunctions.
神经肽 Y（NPY）是一种 36 个氨基酸的肽，它在外周和中枢神经系统中发挥多种调节作用。在 NPY 的作用中，临床前和临床数据表明，NPY 的抗焦虑和抗抑郁作用可能与其对下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴的拮抗剂作用有关。神经生长因子（BDNF）和神经生长因子（NGF）是参与神经元生长、存活和功能的蛋白质。除此之外，还提出了神经递质，特别是 BDNF，在 HPA 轴过度激活中的可能作用。为了描述 NPY 对下丘脑神经递质产生的影响，我们将年轻成年大鼠连续 3 天腹膜内给予 NPY，然后评估该脑区 BDNF 和 NGF 的合成。我们发现 NPY 处理降低了下丘脑 BDNF 的产生，增加了 NGF 的产生。鉴于神经递质在下丘脑的作用，这些发现虽然初步，但为 NPY 作为 HPA 轴抑制剂的作用提供了证据，并支持 NPY 可能参与以 HPA 轴功能障碍为特征的病理学的观点。
