| First Author | Bagosi Z | Year | 2018 |
| Journal | Brain Res | Volume | 1680 |
| Pages | 62-68 | PubMed ID | 29247629 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:268751 | Mgi Id | MGI:6271990 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.12.011 | Citation | Bagosi Z, et al. (2018) Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like actions of Urocortin 2 and its fragments in mice. Brain Res 1680:62-68 |
| abstractText | The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like actions of Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) and its two fragments, Ucn2 (1-21) and Ucn2 (22-38), in mice, in an attempt to identify the biologically active sequence of this 38 amino acid neuropeptide. In this purpose, male C57BL/6 mice were treated intracerebroventricularly (icv) with 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1microg/2microl of Ucn2, Ucn2 (1-21) or Ucn2 (22-38). After 30min, the mice were evaluated in an elevated plus-maze test and a forced swim test for anxiety- and depression-like behavior, respectively. Each test lasted 5min. Ucn2 at dose of 0.25microg/2microl and Ucn2 (1-21) at dose of 0.125microg/2microl, but not Ucn2 (22-38), increased significantly the number of entries into and the time spent in the open-arms, without influencing the total number of entries. In parallel, the same doses of Ucn2 and Ucn2 (1-21), but not Ucn2 (22-38), increased significantly the climbing and the swimming activity, while decreasing significantly the time of immobility. In addition, Ucn2 at doses of 0.125microg/2microl and 0.5microg/2microl decreased significantly the time of immobility, but they did not change the other parameters. The present study demonstrates that Ucn2 exerts anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in C57BL/6 mice, which are mediated by the N-terminal, but not the C-terminal fragment of the peptide. The establishment of the smallest active sequence by further fragmentation of Ucn2 (1-21) may allow the synthesis of new anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs. |
