title: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and depression: from animal studies to the human condition.
abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is widely distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and is one of the most conserved peptides in evolution, suggesting an important role in the regulation of basic physiological functions. In addition, both pre-clinical and clinical evidence have suggested that NPY, together with its receptors, may have a direct implication in several psychiatric disorders, including depression and related illnesses. NPY-like immunoreactivity and NPY receptors are expressed throughout the brain, with varying concentrations being found throughout the limbic system. Such brain structures have been repeatedly implicated in the modulation of emotional processing, as well as in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. This review will concentrate on the distribution of NPY, its receptors, and the putative role played by this peptide in depressive illness based on both pre-clinical and clinical evidence.
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction, McGill University, 6875 LaSalle Blvd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4H 1R3.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Redrobe
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Rémi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quirion
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D017476:Receptors, Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D017476:Receptors, Neuropeptide Y