Advances in Pharmacology and Therapeutics II, Volume 1: CNS Pharmacology Neuropeptides contains the proceedings of the Eighth International Congress of Pharmacology held in Tokyo in 1981. This book is the first of a six-volume compilation of the scientific papers of invited speakers. Separating 26 papers as chapters, this book begins with an invited lecture on opioid peptides and their receptors. Other chapters describe opioid peptides and their relevance to central nervous system mechanisms; neuropeptides and related compounds affecting learning and memory; and pharmacological approaches to the study of sleep regulation. This book also explores the importance of kainic acid and related compounds as a pharmacological tool.

Hypo- or hypersecretion, alteration in storage, release, catabolism, and post-translational processing of neuropeptides are associated with the etiology of many diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Various peptides native to the brain and the spinal cord, as well as various synthetic peptides, peptide analogues and peptidomimetics developed as their agonists or antagonists could be useful in the treatment of these CNS maladies. However, peptides face a formidable obstacle in reaching the intended site of action due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a vital element in the regulation of the internal environment of the brain and the spinal cord. After reviews on the role and neuropharmaceutical potential of peptides, properties of the BBB in the context of peptide transport in the CNS and potential transport mechanisms to cross the BBB, this volume discusses the development, present state-of-the-art and future trends of various strategies to overcome this major obstacle to peptide pharmacotherapy involving the CNS. Chapters are devoted to cover invasive approaches that circumvent the BBB by direct administration into the brain or the spinal cord and by transiently opening the tight junctions of or permeabilizing the endothelial cells separating the systemic circulation from the interstitial fluid of the CNS. Subsequently, physiologically based strategies that utilize biological carriers to gain access to the CNS are discussed in detail, followed by methods encompassing prodrug and chemical delivery/targeting strategies, which aim at altering the properties of the peptide to enhance BBB transport, and drug delivery strategies based on peptide vectors. Finally, a comparative evaluation on the present status and perspectives of the techniques is presented.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a ubiquitous and important messenger in the nervous system, with a wide range of physiological roles. It is involved in the body energy balance and is one of the most potent stimuli of food intake known. NPY also acts to regulate central and peripheral autonomic functions. This book, written by academic and industrial experts in the field, links the most recent basic experimental knowledge about NPY and its receptors with areas of clinical importance. This book will be of interest to those working in all areas of research affected by NPY, such as food intake and energy homeostasis, cardiovascular regulation and G-protein-coupled receptors, as well as those interested in the development of drugs as NPY targets. - The hypothalamic role of NPY and its relationship with eating disorders and diabetes - The sympathetic nervous system role of NPY and its involvement in cardiovascular disorders - Characterization of NPY receptor types and their brain distribution, molecular biology and pharmacology - Development of peptide and non-peptide receptor antagonists

This is the first book devoted exclusively to examining the role of neuropeptides in the spinal cord. Great progress has been made recently in our understanding of the role of neuropeptides in neurotransmission. New tools have been developed to help study the function of endogenous neuropeptides in health and disease. Because the general organization of the spinal cord is well conserved among species and neuropeptides appear to have a major role in spinal neurotransmission, this book is a timely compendium of recent research in this field. The volume will help to stimulate further research in the field of neuropeptides which will lead to better understanding of this role in health and disease.

Although the genomic era is no longer in its infancy, the life sciences are still facing questions about the role of endogenous proteins and peptides in homeostasis and pathologies. Delving into one of the most current fields of interest in biology and medicine, Neuropeptides in Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration describes the impact of neuropeptides on neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. The book begins with chapters describing important features of the endogenous neuropeptide systems related to their formation, receptor signaling, and inactivation. It includes chapters focused on the design and development of peptide-like drugs (peptidomimetics). In addition, the book covers: General aspects regarding the biosynthesis, structures, and distribution of neuroactive peptides and their receptors Basic mechanisms for neuropeptide action, metabolism, as well as techniques for their detection and aspects essential for the cellular mechanisms underlying brain pathology Neuropeptides known for their impact in neurodegenerative and neuroprotective processes Fundamental aspects as well as recent progress in the development of peptidomimetics of neuroprotective and cognition-enhancing peptides

It is now eight years since the first Handbook volumes on Basic Neuro pharmacology were published, and there have been many important advances. As in many other areas in science, progress in this field has depended to a considerable extent on the availability of new experimental methods, and Volume 15 reviews some major recent developments, including new autoradiographic techniques that allow direct visualization of drug and transmitter receptors in the nervous system, and the pin pointing of the precise locations of the changes in brain metabolism elicited by various drug treatments. Volumes 16 and 17 cover two of the most active areas for basic research in psychopharmacology at the moment: the characterization of drug and transmitter receptors in brain by radioligand binding techniques, and studies of the role of small peptides in brain function. The latter area, in particular, illustrates how rapidly progress continues to be made in basic research on the mechanisms of chemical communication within the nervous system. Eight years ago when the Handbook first appeared none of the opioid peptides (enkephalins and endorphins) had yet been identified. Since then a whole new area of basic biological research has focused on these substances, and in addition we know of more than thirty other neuropeptides with putative eNS trans mitter functions.