. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Aug 13.

Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2010 Aug;10(4):473–481. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2010.03.003

Table 1. Neuropeptides with relevant roles in inflammation or autoimmunity.

Neuropeptide	Beneficial effect on experimental models

With Pro-inflammatory effects:
Substance P/Neurokinins	Use of antagonists in inflammatory bowel
Bradykinin	disease and lung inflammation
CRH
With Anti-inflammatory effects:
Somatostatin
CGRP
Galanin	Sepsis, Endotoxemia
VIP/PACAP	Pancreatitis
α-melanocyte stimulating hormone	Inflammatory bowel disease, colitis
ACTH	Nephritis
Opoid peptides	Liver inflammation
Urocortin	Airway/lung inflammation
Atrial natriuretic peptide	Neurodegenerative diseases
Nociceptin	Brain injury
Melanin concentrating hormone	Ischemia (various organs)
Adrenomedullin	Gingivitis/Oral inflammation
Chollecystokinin	Osteoarthritis
Neuropeptide Y (NPY)
Cortistatin
Ghrelin
With effects on Autoimmunity:
NPY
VIP/PACAP
Ghrelin	Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Renin-angiotensin	Rheumatoid arthritis
Cortistatin	Systemic lupus erytematous
α-melanocyte stimulating hormone	Crohn's disease
Urocortin	Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis
Adrenomedullin	Type 1 diabetes

Data extensively reviewed on References 2-6,32

CGRP, calcitonin gene-related peptide; CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropin hormone; PACAP, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide; VIP, vasoactive intestinal peptide.