Distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the rat and mouse brain

The Significance of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Immunomodulation

“…However, neurons and nerve fibers containing VIP have been found in CNS regions that influence the immune system, including all regions of the cerebral cortex, limbic forebrain structures (septum, amygdala, hippocampus, and stria terminalis) and hypothalamic areas (paraventricular and periventricular nuclei, arcuate nucleus, and anterior and preoptic areas), and data showing that VIP modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary axis suggest that central VIPergic neurons also influence immune function by interacting with the CNS circuitry that is well documented to play a modulatory role in neural-immune interactions (for review, see Fuxe et al, 1977;Loren et al, 1979).…”

Lack of vasoactive intestinal peptide reduces testosterone levels and reproductive aging in mouse testis

“…Together with its analog pituitary adenylate cyclaseactivating polypeptide (PACAP), they belong to the glucagon/secretin family. VIP expression is almost ubiquitous since it is produced and secreted not only in the intestinal tract, but also in specific brain structures (including hypothalamic, facial motor, and suprachiasmatic nuclei) and many other peripheral tissues (Said & Mutt 1970, Said & Rosenberg 1976, Loren et al 1979, Nagy et al 1988, Koves et al 1990. Structurally, VIP shares homologies with PACAP and other related peptides, such as peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI).…”

Role of VIP/PACAP in primary headaches

“…In general there exist neurons and fibers within the central nervous system (CNS) that store both VIP (20) and PACAP (10,11); however, it is unlikely that these are involved in the effects of systemic PACAP or in PACAP measured in the peripheral circulation because the peptides are large molecules that only with difficulty can pass the bloodbrain barrier (21).…”