The neuropeptide galanin is widely expressed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and is involved in many diverse biological functions. There is a substantial data set that demonstrates galanin is upregulated after injury in the DRG, spinal cord and in many brain regions where it plays a predominantly antinociceptive role in addition to being neuroprotective and pro-regenerative. ...

The aim of the present thesis was to investigate the role of the neuropeptide galanin and galanin receptor subtypes in behavioural functions with a particular focus on depression-like behaviour. In agreement with its wide distribution in the central nervous system, galanin has been implicated in various functions, including regulation of reproduction, endocrine functions, antinociception, atten...

In the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus (ARC), galaninergic fibers form synaptic contacts with proopiomelanocortin neurons, which are involved in pain modulation. The present study assessed the role of exogenous and endogenous galanin in the modulation of nociception in the ARC of rats. The hindpaw withdrawal latency (HWL) to thermal and mechanical stimulation was assessed by the hot-plate test ...

The neuropeptide galanin and its receptors (GalR) are found to be up-regulated in brains suffering from nerve injury, but the specific role played by galanin remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the neuroprotective role of galanin after shear stress induced nerve injury in the primary cultured cortical neurons of rats. Our results demonstrated that no significant changes in cell death a...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a major regulator of inflammatory and homeostatic pain states, influencing both sensory neuron phenotype and physiologic responses (Petruska & Mendell, 2004). It is known that NGF is one of the well characterized regulators of galanin expression (Thippeswamy et al., 2007). NGF regulates galanin expression occurring in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells after intravesi...

BACKGROUND Galanin is expressed at low levels in the intact sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia with a dramatic increase after peripheral nerve injury. The neuropeptide is also expressed in primary afferent terminals in the dorsal horn, spinal inter-neurons and in a number of brain regions known to modulate nociception. Intrathecal administration of galanin modulates sensory responses in...

Lactation is a physiological condition known to upregulate the expression of the hypothalamic neurohormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, in the rat supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. Other neuropeptides such as galanin are co-localized in the same magnocellular neurones and their expression has been demonstrated to be regulated by different experimental and physiological conditions. In the pr...

Galanin, a 29-amino acid peptide, is widely distributed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and is colocalized with catecholamines, although its physiological significance remains to be elucidated. In the present study we investigated the regulatory mechanisms of galanin on norepinephrine release in rat medulla oblongata. In slices of medulla oblongata of Sprague-Dawley rats, gal...

The three galanin receptor subtypes (GalR1-3) belong to the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. The widespread distribution of galanin and its receptors in the CNS and PNS and the numerous physiological and pharmacological effects of galanin (for review, cf. Vrontakis, 2002) render the three galanin receptors attractive drug targets. The industrial efforts, however, have not yet resulted in...

Addition of the neuropeptide galanin to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2-tetraacetoxymethylester causes a rapid and transient increase in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) followed by homologous desensitization. Galanin increased [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent fashion with half-maximum effect (EC50) at 20-22 nM in H69 an...