Discovery of its importance in
stress-related disorders
Neuroanatomical studies
• The concentration of substance P is
altered in neural circuits involving the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus
and periaqueductal gray
• Substance P has a unique anatomical
relationship with monoamine neurotransmettors through which which clinically used
antidepressant drugs mediate their therapeutic effects
Pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion
Pharmacological effect
Central injection of substance P elicits a range of
behavorial and cardivascular stress responses in rats and guinea-pigs