Nociceptin neuropeptide

Chu, X., Xu, N., Li, P., Mao, L., and Wang, J.Q. 1999. Inhibition of cardiovascular activity following microinjection of novel opioid-like neuropeptide nociceptin (orphanin FQ) into the rat rostral ventrolateral medulla. Brain Res. 829, 134-142. 

Calo G, Guetrini R, Rizzi A, Salvadori S, Regoli D (2000) Pharmacology of nociceptin and its receptor a novel therapeutic target. Br 1 Pharmacol 129 1261-1283 Candeletti 8, Ferri S (1990) Antinociceptive profile of intracerebroventricular sahnon-calcitonin and caldtonin gene-related peptide in the mouse formalin test. Neuropeptides 17 93-98 Cannon JG (2000) Inflammatory cytokines in nonpathological states. News Physiol Sci 15 298-303... 

Issa PC, Lever IJ, Michael GJ, Bradbury EJ, Malcangio M (2001) IntrathecaUy delivered glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor produces electrically evoked release of somatostatin in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. J Neurochem 78 221-229 Ito K, Yoshikawa M, Maeda M, Jin XL, TakahasM S, Matsuda M, Tamaki R, Kobayashi H, Suzuki T, Hashimoto A (2008) Midazolam attenuates the anfinodception induced by D-serine or morphine at the supraspinal level in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 586 139-144 Ito S, Okuda-Ashitaka E, Minami T (2001) Central and peripheral roles of prostaglandins in pain and their interactions with novel neuropeptides nociceptin and nocistatin. Neurosci Res 41 299-332... 

Joseph T, Lee TL, Li C, Siau C, Nishiuchi Y, Kimura T, Tachibana S (2007) Levels of neuropeptides nocistatin, nociceptin/orphanin FQ and their precursor protein in a rat neuropathic pain model. Peptides 28 1433-1440... 

Okuda-Ashitaka E, Ito S (2000) Nocistatin a novel neuropeptide encoded by the gene for the nociceptin/orphanin FQ precursor. Peptides 21 1101-1109 Okuda-Ashitaka E, Minami T, Tachibana S, Yoshihtira Y, Nishiuchi Y, Kimura T, Ito S (1998) Nocistatin, a peptide that blocks nociceptin action in ptiin transmission. Nature 392 286-289... 

Reinscheid RK, Civelli O. The orphanin FQ/nociceptin knockout mouse a behavioral model for stress responses. Neuropeptides 2002 36 72-76. 

The function of nociceptin in the immune system and/or in the interaction betw een the nervous and immune systems is not clear at present. Studies suggest that it increases T cell activation, suppresses antibody production and is a potent chemoattractant. However, given the presence of both the neuropeptide and its receptor in immune cells, analogous to beta-endoiphin and the enkephalins, nociceptin is well positioned to play a role similar to that of the better-known and studied opioid-like peptides. 

Civelli, O., Nothacker, H.-P., Reinscheid, R., 1998. Reverse physiology discovery of the novel neuropeptide, orphanin FQ/nociceptin. Crit. Rev. Neurobiol. 12, 163-176. 

C., Klussmann, S. (2004). Biostable aptamers with antagonistic properties to the neuropeptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ. RNA-A 10, 516-527. 

Nociceptin (orphanin FQ) is a novel neuropeptide whose actions have yet to be completely elucidated. However, stimulation of the nociceptin receptor has been implicated in the modulation of many neurobehavioral processes, including pain, substance dependence, sexual behavior, anxiety, locomotor activity, learning capacity, memory, and adaptation to stressful stimulus [1-6]. Continued research in this area has the potential to lead to a new class of drugs for pain medicine and beyond. 

The relatively recent discovery of the neuropeptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ, and its receptor system, offers the possibility of future treatment modahties in the field of pain medicine. As described, this system can play a role in pain rebel, anxiolysis, and substance abuse associated with opioids, and other central-acting drugs. Although much research remains, these potential effects with regard to pain, anxiety, and substance abuse, as web as numerous other systemic effects, encourage further work in the area. 

Ito, S, Okuda-Ashitaka, E andMinami, T (2001) Central and peripheral roles of prostaglandins in pain and their interactions with novel neuropeptides nociceptin and nocistatin. Neurosci Res, 41, 299-332. 

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