Behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of the selective CRF2 receptor agonists urocortin II and urocortin III

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 659 - 666
• Main Authors: PELLEYMOUNTER, Mary Ann, JOPPA, Margaret, LING, Nick, FOSTER, Alan C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Science 01.04.2004
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Animals; Anxiety - blood; Anxiety - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - administration & dosage; Eating - drug effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pituitary-Adrenal System - drug effects; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - agonists; Stress, Physiological - blood; Stress, Physiological - drug therapy; Urocortins; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Urocortin; Agonist; Behavior; CRF2 receptor
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.01.008

We compared the in vivo efficacy of two selective CRF2 agonists, mouse urocortin II (mUcn II) and human urocortin III (hUcn III), using food intake, anxious behavior, or ACTH release in CD-1 or Balb/c mice as indices of biological stress responses. All three peptides produced anorexia (Minimal Effective Dose (M.E.D.) for CRF and mUcn II = 0.03 nmol; M.E.D. for hUcn III = 0.3 nmol). Only mUcn II and CRF appeared to increase anxious behaviors in the elevated plus maze test (M.E.D. = 0.3 and 0.01 nmol, respectively). CRF increased the release of plasma ACTH (M.E.D. of 0.3 nmol), while mUcn II and hUcn III had no effect on ACTH release. These data suggest that the CRF2 receptor subtype plays a primary role in the activation of behavioral, but not neuroendocrine, stress responses.