SHA-68
Encyclopedia
SHA-68 is a drug
which acts as a selective
, non-peptide
antagonist at the neuropeptide S
receptor
NPSR
. In animal studies it has anxiogenic
effects, and blocks the stimulant
action of neuropeptide S.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
which acts as a selective
Binding selectivity
Binding selectivity refers to the differing affinities with which different ligands bind to a substrate forming a complex. A selectivity coefficient is the equilibrium constant for the reaction of displacement by one ligand of another ligand in a complex with the substrate...
, non-peptide
Peptide
Peptides are short polymers of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. They are distinguished from proteins on the basis of size, typically containing less than 50 monomer units. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond...
antagonist at the neuropeptide S
Neuropeptide S
Neuropeptide S is a neuropeptide found in human and mammalian brain, mainly produced by neurons in the amygdala and between Barrington's nucleus and the locus coeruleus, although NPS-responsive neurons extend projections into many other brain areas. NPS binds specifically to a newly de-orphaned G...
receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...
NPSR
Neuropeptide S receptor
The neuropeptide S receptor is a member of the G-protein coupled receptor superfamily of integral membrane proteins which binds neuropeptide S...
. In animal studies it has anxiogenic
Anxiogenic
An anxiogenic substance is one that causes anxiety. Anxiogenic effects can be measured by, for example, the hole-board test in rats and mice. A number of agents are used to provoke anxiety or panic in experimental models...
effects, and blocks the stimulant
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
action of neuropeptide S.