# Effects of NPY on Hippocampal Circuit Function

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $693,920

## Abstract

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has robust anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties and is thought to be a stress resilience
factor. Clinical and pre-clinical studies have shown that NPY signaling regulates stress-dependent behavior in
both humans and rodents. Our knowledge of the mechanisms by which NPY affects synaptic and circuit function
to alter behavior is incomplete. NPY has been implicated in a wide variety of anxiety disorders, including post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Low levels of NPY have been measured in patients with PTSD and in animals
exposed to traumatic stress. Modulation of NPY has been proposed as a potential therapy for PTSD and other
anxiety disorders. The hippocampus has been implicated in anxiety disorders including PTSD, which can be
considered maladaptive forms of learning. NPY and its receptors are found at high levels in hippocampus, and
direct injections of NPY into hippocampus attenuate avoidance behavior in rodents. Importantly, the levels of
NPY in hippocampus are reduced in rodents exposed to traumatic stress. The mechanism underlying this
decrease is not known. However, the reduction in NPY expression by traumatic stress is important, because
injection of NPY into hippocampus alleviates behavioral symptoms. In the previous funding period, we showed
that traumatic stress causes the loss of NPY release in the temporammonic pathway in the CA1 region of
hippocampus, a pathway that is important for memory consolidation and fear learning. In this funding period, we
will determine the effects of NPY release in the TA pathway on hippocampal circuit function and behavior,
investigate the mechanisms of decreased NPY release caused by traumatic stress, and test whether enhancing
release of NPY in the TA pathway can rescue the behavioral effects of traumatic stress. These studies could
lead to new therapeutic strategies to alleviate anxiety symptoms in PTSD patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10071650
- **Project number:** 2R01MH108342-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** LYNN E DOBRUNZ
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $693,920
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2015-09-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10071650

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10071650, Effects of NPY on Hippocampal Circuit Function (2R01MH108342-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10071650. Licensed CC0.

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