Pharmacology of spinal peptides affecting sensory and motor functions: dynorphins, somatostatins and tachykinins.
In recent years, the pharmacological activity of dynorphins and somatostatins on spinal sensory transmission has been intensively investigated with a view to developing new agents for pain control. Similarly, a series of tachykinin-related peptides with apparent receptor antagonist activity on endogenous substance P and neurokinins has been investigated. However, a number of observations suggest that these peptides, injected intrathecally in laboratory animals, not only exert a direct effect on nociceptive transmission but also affect a broader range of spinal somatomotor and autonomic functions and may cause peculiar neurotoxic effects that are not elicited by a large number of peptides affecting spinal neurotransmission. This article makes a critical review of their pharmacological activity on spinal sensory and motor functions and briefly touches on their anatomical and functional organization in the spinal cord.
Spampinato
S
S
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bologna, Italy.
Ferri
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D012677:Sensation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013373:Substance P / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology
D015320:Tachykinins; D013373:Substance P; D013004:Somatostatin; D004399:Dynorphins