The 36-amino-acid peptide neurotransmitter known as neuropeptide Y (NPY) is extensively dispersed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. It belongs to the pancreatic polypeptide family and is essential for controlling hunger, stress reactions, heart health, and neuroprotection. Through G-protein-coupled receptors (Y1, Y2, Y4, and Y5), which are implicated in synaptic plasticity, emotional stability, and energy balance, NPY produces its effects. In neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Machado-Joseph's, NPY is a crucial modulator. By decreasing excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation and improving synaptic plasticity and memory retention, NPY has neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's disease. It lessens the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease, which lessens motor impairments. NPY prevents striatal neurons from degenerating in Huntington's disease, and it controls oxidative stress and neuroinflammation to improve neuronal survival in Machado-Joseph disease. In mood disorders like anxiety and depression, where its dysregulation is associated with increased susceptibility to stress, NPY also plays a crucial role. One possible treatment strategy for these disorders is to target NPY receptors. NPY-based treatments for metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatric conditions are investigated in pharmacological research. It has been discovered that substances like cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, and opioids change the expression of NPY, affecting the brain's regulatory processes. MK-0557 and Velneperit are two examples of Y-receptor agonists and antagonists that have been studied in clinical trials for the treatment of obesity. NPY is a promising target for the treatment of metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders due to its multifunctional role. In order to enhance neuroprotection and improve treatment outcomes, future research should concentrate on creating NPY-based therapies.
Rahangdale et al. (2026) studied this question.