title: Neurobehavioral profile of neuropeptide Y.
abstract: In order to better delineate the profile of central actions of neuropeptide Y (NPY), the effects of intracerebroventricular administration of several doses (2.5-20 micrograms) of the peptide on spontaneous activity, muscular tone, body temperature, food intake, nociception and cataleptic manifestations were examined in rats. Results indicate that, starting at 5 micrograms. NPY significantly decreased motor activity of animals in a dose-related fashion. NPY also significantly lowered body temperature of animals. The hypothermic effect was obtained following injections of 10.0 and 20.0 micrograms of the peptide. Administration of the same two doses of NPY resulted in significant increases in food intake, muscular tone and induced a significant catalepsy in animals. On the other hand, nociceptive response times of animals in the hot plate test were not affected by any of the NPY doses tested. Together, these results indicate that the profile of NPY's neurobehavioral actions is more complex than previously reported and suggest that the peptide might be implicated functionally in a variety of neurophysiological processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Jolicoeur
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Michaud
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivest
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaudin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: St-Pierre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000187:drug effects; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y