Under normal physiological conditions, neurotensin is involved in the regulation of pain, body temperature, physical activity, appetite as well as learning and memory.
Simultaneous integration of both β<sup>3</sup>hLys<sup>8</sup> and 6-OH-Tic<sup>11</sup> into NT(8-13) produced a potent and NTS2-selective analogue with strong analgesic action after intrathecal delivery in the rat formalin-induced pain model with an ED<sub>50</sub> of 1.4 nmol.
Our results suggest that abnormalities in the opioid and neurotensin systems may underlie the increase in pain threshold found in suicide attempters, and possibly risk for suicidal behavior.
Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that engages multiple subtypes of G protein, and is involved in the regulation of blood pressure, body temperature, weight and the response to pain.