Enzymatic degradation of neuropeptide FF and SQA-neuropeptide FF in the mouse brain

Degradation of neuropeptide FF (NPFF) and SQA-neuropeptide FF (SQA-NPFF) by mouse brain sections was investigated by using capillary electrophoresis with UV detection for the separation and the identification of the degradation products. The half disappearance time of SQA-NPFF was 2-fold greater than that of NPFF. NPFF was cleaved preferentially into an inactive metabolite, Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2, in the cerebrum slices. SQA-NPFF was hydrolyzed by an unidentified degrading activity to generate NPFF, and NPFF accounted for a larger part of SQA-NPFF degradation in the hindbrain and cervical spinal cord than in the cerebrum slices. These findings suggest that, depending on the brain regions, NPFF produced from SQA-NPFF could prolong the biologic effects of SQA-NPFF.