Anxiolytic action of urocortin 3 fragments in mice

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2011-09, Vol.222 (2), p.295-298
• Main Authors: Telegdy, G., Kádár, K., Tóth, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology; Anxiolytic action; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - administration & dosage; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Injections, Intraventricular; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; Mice; Neuropharmacology; Peptide Fragments - administration & dosage; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopharmacology; Structure-Activity Relationship; Urocortin 3 fragments; Urocortins - administration & dosage; Urocortins - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.047

► The anxiolytic action of six urocortin 3 (Ucn 3) fragments was studied in elevated plus maze in mice. ► The biological active center was the smallest tripeptide Ucn 3 (36–38). ► Establishment the smallest active sequence of Ucn 3 would allow the synthesis of analogs and mimetics for anxiolytic action. In the present experiments, the anxiolytic action of Ucn 3 fragments were studied in an elevated plus maze in mice following icv administration in an attempt to identify the biologically active center of the molecule. Ucn 3, Ucn 3 (18–38), Ucn 3 (19–27), Ucn 3 (28–38), Ucn 3 (34–38), and Ucn 3 (36–38) but not Ucn 3 (34–36), demonstrated anxiolytic action by increasing the time the mice spent in open arms, and Ucn 3 and Ucn 3 (34–38) did so by increasing the number of entries into open arms. The shortest molecule which elicited anxiolytic effects was the tripeptide Ucn 3 (36–38), H-Ala-Gln-Ile-NH2. The results indicate that the total sequence of Ucn 3 is not necessary for the anxiolytic action of Ucn 3. Establishment the smallest active sequence of Ucn 3 will allow the synthesis of analogs or mimetics for anxiolytic action.