Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide: biologic role in health and disease.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), a neuropeptide with wide distribution in the central and peripheral nervous systems, has a broad spectrum of biologic actions. Usually acting as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator but sometimes also as a blood-borne hormone, it participates in the regulation of a variety of major body functions and may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of several diseases.
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Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and Veterans Affairs West Side Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.