Solution synthesis of human neuropeptide Y (hNPY)

Human neuropeptide Y (hNPY) was synthesized in a conventional manner by assembling seven peptide fragments followed by reduction of the Met(O) residue with phenylthiotrimethylsilane and subsequent deprotection with 1 M trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf)-thioanisole in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Alternatively, deprotection was performed in a two-step manner; first, treatment with 1 M trimethylsilyl bromide-thioanisole in TFA, and then with 1 M TMSOTf-thioanisole in TFA. After purification by gel-filtration on Sephadex G-25, followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, a highly purified sample of synthetic hNPY was obtained in both cases. When administered in dogs, synthetic hNPY was as active as porcine NPY in terms of the effects on systemic arterial blood pressure, pancreatic blood flow, and superior mesentric artery (SMA) blood flow. Met(O)17-hNPY was found to be as active as the parent sample in these bioassays.