THE GALR2 GALANIN RECEPTOR MEDIATES GALANIN-INDUCED JEJUNAL CONTRACTION, BUT NOT FEEDING-BEHAVIOR, IN THE RAT - DIFFERENTIATION OF CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL EFFECTS OF RECEPTOR SUBTYPE ACTIVATION

The neuropeptide galanin mediates a diverse array of physiological fun ctions through activation of specific receptors, Roles of the three re cently cloned galanin receptors (GalRs) in rat intestinal contraction and food intake were examined using GalR-selective ligands and the res ults were compared with the pharmacological profiles of defined GalRs, The action profile of these ligands in jejunal contraction resembled only that of GalR2 and only a high level of GalR2 mRNA was detected in the tissue, supporting GalR2 as the receptor mediating jejunal contra ction, The action profile for food intake in rats excluded GalR2, GalR 3 and the putative pituitary galanin receptor as the 'feeding receptor ', suggesting that either GalR1 or an unidentified GalR is responsible for mediating this function. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemi cal Societies.