Porcine galanin (pGAL), its 15-amino-acid-residue fragment and five new analogues modified in positions 4, 6 or 14 were tested for their effects on glucose-induced insulin secretion from isolated rat pancreatic islets of Langerhans. In vitro insulin secretion was studied during static incubation. All peptides were tested at two concentrations: 100 nM and 1 microM. The insulin level in the prese...

Galanin receptors type 1 (GalR1) and/or type 2 (GalR2) represent unique pharmacological targets for treatment of seizures and epilepsy. Previous studies have shown that the endogenous peptide ligand galanin exerts powerful anticonvulsant effect through activation of these two G protein-coupled receptors, which are highly expressed in the temporal lobe of rodent brain. Here we report the charact...

Basal and forced swimming (FS) stress-induced release of noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) were determined by in vivo microdialysis in the ventral hippocampus of mice overexpressing galanin under the platelet-derived growth factor B promoter (GalOE/P) or under the dopamine beta-hydroxylase promoter (GalOE/D) (only NA). WT mice served as controls. Intraventricular infusion of galanin signi...

The effects of galanin (GAL) on magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) were examined during microelectrode recordings from supraoptic neurons in superfused hypothalamic explants. Application of the full-length peptide (GAL1-29) or of the N-terminal fragment GAL1-16 produced reversible membrane hyperpolarization with an IC50 near 10 nM. These effects were associated with an increase of membra...

Stroke is the third most common cause for mortality in industrialised countries and amongst the major causes of longtime morbidity. While the mortality due to myocardial infarction has been dramatically reduced during the last 10-15 years, mortality due to stroke remains almost the same, despite the fact that the two share similar basic pathogenic mechanisms including atherosclerosis, hypertens...

Satoshi Hirako1, Fumiko Takenoya1,2, Haruaki Kageyama1,3, Nobuhiro Wada1, Mai Okabe4 and Seiji Shioda1* 1Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan 2Department of Exercise and Sports Physiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Tokyo, Japan 3Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Gunma, Japan 4Tokyo Shokuryo Dietitian Academy, Toky...

 The endocrine cells of Salmo trutta macrostigma stomach and pyloric caeca have been investigated using immunohistochemical techniques. 8 antisera were tested and 6 of them were detected in the endocrine cells serotonin, somatostatin, substance P, galanin, CCK and neuropeptide Y. These immunoreactive cells are described for the first time in the stomach and pyloric caeaca of Salmo trutta macros...

The effects of galanin and somatostatin on insulin release, membrane potential, and cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) were investigated using beta-cells isolated from obese hyperglycemic mice. Whereas insulin release was measured in a column perifusion system, membrane potential and [Ca2+]i were measured with the fluorescent indicators bisoxonol (bis-(1,3-diethylthiobarbiturate)tri...

The gene encoding the neuropeptide galanin is upregulated by second messenger signal transduction pathways in bovine chromaffin cells. To identify its transcriptional regulatory elements, 5'-flanking sequences of the galanin gene were transiently transfected into primary cultures of bovine chromaffin cells within reporter gene constructs. Multiple regions of the galanin 5' flank seem to be nece...