Performance-enhancing effects of CRF-BP ligand inhibitors

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) peptide fragments with low affinity for CRF receptors reported ly improves cognitive performance without producing anxiety. These compound s are hypothesized to act by displacing endogenous peptide from the CRF-bin ding protein (CRF-BP). To test this hypothesis, the present study determine d whether the performance-enhancing potency of CRF fragments was related to their affinity for the CRF-BP. Rank ordering of the optimal doses of these compounds for facilitating spatial navigation corresponded to their affini ty for the CRF-BP. i.c.v. pretreatment with performance-enhancing doses of r/h CRF(1-41)-OH (5 mug) or r/h CRF(6-33) (25 mug) did not increase emotion ality. These findings replicate the dissociability of the cognition- and an xiety-related effects of CRF-related compounds and suggest that CRF fragmen ts facilitate performance via the CRF-BP. NeuroReport 12:1231-1234 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.