Vasointestinal peptide

We have already discussed the co-occurrence of small amine and peptide neurotransmitters their release is normally Ca + dependent, and they operate through signal transmission. They are also capable of regulating each other s release and even the synthesis, clustering, and affinity of receptors. Neuroendocrine cells are capable of producing more than one peptide, and thus an amine-peptide as well as a peptide-peptide combination is possible. It is known, for instance, that the vagus nerve contains substance P, vasointestinal peptide, enkephalin, cholecystokinin, and somatostatin— peptides with a hybrid combination of neural and hormonal communication properties. 

However, there is now a growing list of peptide cotransmitter substances which appear to be released from nerve cells along with the above neurotransmitters. For example, somatostatin, cholecystokinin, vasointestinal peptide, substance P, and neurotensin have all been identified as cotransmitters of acetylcholine in a variety of situations. 

VIRGOLINI, I., Receptor nuclear medicine Vasointestinal peptide and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for diagnosis and treatment of tumour patients, Eur. J. Clin. Invest. 27 (1997) 793-800. 

Nelson and Bauman (2003) measured numerous neuropeptides in archived neonatal blood of children later diagnosed with autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and controls. They found, in comparison with controls, significant elevations in concentrations of vasointestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and nerve growth factors (NT4/5) in children with autism and in those with mental retardation without autism. There was no measure that distinguished autism from mental retardation. 

Activation of adenylate cyclase Glucagon, adrenocorticotrophical hormone, jS-adrenergic, vasointestinal peptide, adenosine (A2)... 

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