Neuropeptide Topics

• neurotransmitter gaba
• inhibitory neurotransmitter
• arcuate nucleus
• brain database
• growth hormone releasing hormone
• insulin resistance
• diabetic mice
• neuropeptide y
• chemical signals
• mammalian brain
• human genome
• enkephalin
• neuropeptides
• type 2 diabetes
• somatostatin
• substance p
• peptides
• neurons
• precursors
• receptors

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• neuroscience
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• neurology
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Neuropeptide, Neuropeptide

The human genome contains about 90 genes that encode precursors of neuropeptides. At present about 100 different peptides are known to be released by different populations of neurons in the mammalian brain database of all neuropetides . Neurons use many different chemical signals to communicate information, including neurotransmitters, peptides, cannabinoids, and even some gases, like nitric oxide.

These are not the only peptides in the arcuate nucleus; -endorphin, dynorphin, enkephalin, galanin, ghrelin, growth-hormone releasing hormone, neurotensin, neuromedin U, and somatostatin are also expressed in subpopulations of arcuate neurons. These peptides are all released centrally and act on other neurons at specific receptors. The neuropeptide Y neurons also make the classical inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

This treatment reduced the development of diabetes in these mice by 80%, suggesting a link between neuropeptides and the development of diabetes. When the researchers injected the pancreas of the diabetic mice with substance P, they were cured of the diabetes for as long as 4 months. Also, insulin resistance (characteristic of type 2 diabetes) was reduced. These research results are in the process of being confirmed, and their applicability in humans will have to be established in the future. Any treatment that could result from this research is probably years away.

Source: Wikipedia > Neuropeptide