[Galanin, a new neuropeptide. Review]

Galanin is a 29 amino-acid peptide originally isolated from porcine intestine. It is synthesized as part of a large precursor peptide the preprogalanin. Immunological studies has showed that there is interspecies conservation of the N terminal portion although the C-terminal portions has a little of immunoreactivity. Galanin has a number of pharmacological properties in whole animals and isolated tissues. Galanin contracts isolated preparation from rat fundus, ileum, colon and urinary bladder. Direct administration of galanin (pGal) into the rat third ventricule stimulates food intake, increases plasma growth hormone and prolactin levels and decrease dopamine levels in the median eminence. Intravenous infusion in dog and humans induce a hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance and inhibits the insulin, somatostatin and pancreatic polipeptide secretion from pancreas. Galanin is a estrogen-stimulated peptide. Estrogens increase dramatically the synthesis of their mRNA and the peptide in the rat pituitary. Galanin-like immunoreactivity is widely distributed in several mamalian species including humans. In the central nervous system it was found in medium emminence, hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus etc. Its localization in neurosecretory granules suggest that galanin functions as a neurotransmitter. The detection of a Gal-immunorectivity in the plasma after 17 beta estradiol stimulation suggests that galanin has a distal target and therefore, may be an additional anterior pituitary hormone. Galanin has been localized in reproductive tissues and this suggests that it may play an estrogen mediated role in the hypothalamic and pituitary function. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in their function remain to be studied.