ABSTRACT
Peptide analogs of urocortin 3[3638] (Ucn 3[3638]), obtained with deletion or replacement of amino acids of the original human urocortin 3 sequence, were designed, synthesized, and tested in vivo for treatment of depression. Based on the results of the biological tests of the peptide analogs, several new peptidomimetics of the above short analogs of urocortin 3, including urea- and azapeptides, were also designed and synthesized and found to preserve the antidepressant-like effect of the 38 amino acid long original neuropeptide. The molecular modifications of urocortin 3[3638] led to an improved understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and biological activity of this peptide, and the novel peptidomimetics could be further tested for possible clinical treatment of depression.
Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage , Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/administration & dosage , Depressive Disorder/drug therapy , Peptides/administration & dosage , Urocortins/administration & dosage , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Antidepressive Agents/chemical synthesis , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/chemical synthesis , Depressive Disorder/pathology , Humans , Mice , Peptides/chemical synthesis , Peptidomimetics/administration & dosage , Peptidomimetics/chemical synthesis , Urocortins/chemical synthesisABSTRACT
A 4–year trial of an undergraduate medical care education program for smoking cessation with the participation of simulated patients is described. Simulated medical care with the participation of simulated patients is thought to motivate medical students to learn clinical skills for smoking cessation. However, simulated medical care for smoking cessation is difficult to plan when both the medical students and the simulated patients are nonsmokers.
