TITLE:
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and VIP Receptors-Elucidation of Structure and Function for Therapeutic Applications
AUTHORS:
Hisato Igarashi, Nao Fujimori, Tetsuhide Ito, Taichi Nakamura, Takamasa Oono, Kazuhiko Nakamura, Koichi Suzuki, Robert T Jensen, Ryoichi Takayanagi
KEYWORDS:
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, VIP, VPAC
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Clinical Medicine,
Vol.2 No.4,
September
30,
2011
ABSTRACT: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino acid polypeptide first isolated from swine duodenum. VIP is a neurotransmitter that is extensively distributed in tissues. According to published reports, VPAC1 and VPAC2 act as VIP receptors and are widely present in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. VIP exerts diverse actions on the cardiovascular system, pancreas, digestive tract, respiratory system, and urological system. Recent reports indicated that VIP has immunological and neuroprotective effects and also affects cell growth. While primary investigations for developing therapeutic applications for various pathological conditions and diseases are underway, the structure and function of VIP should be analyzed in more detail.