The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is well known to act on the central nervous system in ways that mimic stress and result in decreases in exploration, increases in sympathetic activity, decreases in parasympathetic outflow, and decreases in appetitive behavior. Urocortin, a neuropeptide related to CRF, binds with high affinity to the CRF2 receptor, is more potent than CRF in suppressing appetite, but is less potent than CRF in producing anxiety-like effects and activation. Doses as low as 10 nanograms injected intracerebroventricularly were effective in decreasing food intake in food-deprived and free-feeding rats. These results suggest that urocortin may be an endogenous CRF-like factor in the brain responsible for the effects of stress on appetite.
These data suggest that brain CRF may be substantially involved in the development of "anxiety-like" responses related to cocaine withdrawal and could be important for future drug dependence treatments.
Astressin, a novel corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)antagonist on plus-maze performance. However, contrary to ␣ -helicalCRF and , astressin had no effect on CRF-induced locomotor activity. These results suggest that astressin may have a unique anti-CRF profile compared to previously tested antagonists.
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