Cortistatin, a modulatory peptide of sleep and memory, induces analgesia in rats.
Cortistatin is a neuropeptide structurally related to somatostatin that induces sleep and interferes with the memory process. Very likely affecting other neurotransmission systems, such as: acetylcholine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and noradrenaline. For example, cortistatin inhibits acetylcholine excitatory actions in the hippocampus. It is known that acetylcholine is involved in the regulation of several processes, such as pain, temperature, sleep, and memory. Since cortistatin seems to interact with acetylcholine, we decided to explore whether cortistatin participates in the system that modulates the noxious stimulus-evoked behavior. The intracerebroventricular administration of cortistatin increased the threshold to evoke a defensive behavior by a nociceptive stimulus. These observations suggest that cortistatin is part of the system that regulates pain perception.
Méndez-Díaz
Mónica
M
Grupo de Neurociencias, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-250, Mexico D.F. 04510, Mexico.
Guevara-Martínez
Marcela
M
Alquicira
Cynthia R
CR
Guzmán Vásquez
Khalil
K
Prospéro-García
Oscar
O
D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*
D009479:Neuropeptides; C099323:cortistatin