Neuropeptide Y (18-36) is a competitive antagonist of neuropeptide Y in rat cardiac ventricular membranes

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a hexatriacontapeptide amide, is present in high concentrations in the mammalian heart. Specific receptors of NPY in rat cardiac ventricular membranes have been characterized recently in our laboratory. Structure-activity studies with selected partial sequences of NPY revealed that NPY(18-36) inhibited the binding of 125I-NPY to rat cardiac ventricular membranes but had no effect on the cardiac Adenylate Cyclase activity. NPY, as previously reported, inhibited the cardiac Adenylate Cyclase activity. These observations suggested that NPY (18-36) may be an antagonist of NPY in cardiac membranes. Consistent with this observation, the presence of NPY (18-36) (1 microM) shifted the inhibitory Adenylate Cyclase activity dose-response curve of NPY to the right in a parallel fashion. Furthermore, NPY(18-36) (1 microM) completely abolished the effect of NPY (10 nM) that alone caused 80% of the maximum inhibition of Adenylate Cyclase activity. These findings confirm that NPY(18-36) is a competitive antagonist of NPY in rat cardiac ventricular membranes. NPY cardiac receptor antagonist, NPY(18-36), or analogs based on this sequence may have potential clinical application, since NPY has been implicated in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure.