Teneurin C-Terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP)-1 Attenuates Restraint Stress-Induced Corticosterone Increases in Male Mice and Rats.

Hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response can result in anxiety and other neuropsychiatric disorders and effective therapeutics are needed to mitigate this maladaptive response. Here we examined the effects of Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP)-1, a peptide known to inhibit corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-mediated stress, on the physiological expression of stress, and whether the effects of TCAP-1 were dependent on the route of administration. We first examined whether subcutaneous administration of TCAP-1 influenced tube restraint stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) increases in both male mice and rats. Using a similar model, we further examined the efficacy and time course of intranasal TCAP-1. Results showed that subcutaneous TCAP-1 administration attenuated the expression of the physiological manifestation of stress in male mice and rats, and that intranasal TCAP-1 delivered prophylactically is effective at attenuating stress-induced CORT increases in male rats. These data indicate that TCAP-1 delivered though non-invasive routes of administration could have potential as a clinically relevant anxiolytic.