Neuropeptides in gut-brain axis and their influence on host immunity and stress

In recent decades, neuropeptides have been found to play a major role in communication along the gut-brain axis. Various neuropeptides are expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems, where they facilitate the crosstalk between the nervous systems and other major body systems. In addition to being critical to communication from the brain in the nervous systems, neuropeptides actively regulate immune functions in the gut in both direct and indirect ways, allowing for communication between the immune and nervous systems. In this mini review, we discuss the role of several neuropeptides, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and phoenixin (PNX), in the gut-brain axis and summarize their functions in immunity and stress. We choose these neuropeptides to highlight the diversity of peptide communication in the gut-brain axis.