Urocortin and the brain

Urocortin is a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family of peptides. In the brain, its potent suppression of food intake is mediated by CRH receptors (CRHR). Urocortin also participates in the regulation of anxiety, learning, memory, and body temperature, and it shows neuroprotection. This review will summarize the location of urocortin-producing neurons and their projections, the pharmacological evidence of its actions in the CNS, and information acquired from knockout mice. Urocortin interacts with leptin, neuropeptide Y, orexin, and corticotropin in the brain. Also produced by the GI tract, heart, and immune cells, urocortin has blood concentrations ranging from 13 to 152 pg/ml. Blood-borne urocortin stimulates the cerebral endothelial cells composing the blood–brain barrier and crosses the blood–brain barrier by a unique transport system. Overall, urocortin acts on a broad neuronal substrate as a neuromodulator important for basic survival.