Neurotensin has been used as an external calibration reagent in spectrum calibration. It has also been used to evaluate the performance of online capillary electrophoresis to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (CE-MALDI).
Neurotensin has been used in apoptosis/ cell death assay and is used in:matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis
Biochem/physiol Actions
Neurotensin (NT) acts as an inducer for analgesia, hypothermia and hyperglycemia, and is an inhibitor of gastric motility. Plasma NT levels are high in children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). NT secreted from small cell lung cancer cells might have a regulatory action in this disease. It has been implicated in regulation of gastric system and inflammatory processes in the lung. In addition, NT also regulates immune response by stimulating cytokine release and chemotaxis on interaction with leukocytes, peritoneal mast cells and dendritic cells. NT present in gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a vital role in various processes such as stimulation of pancreatic and biliary secretion and enhances growth of various normal tissues. It is involved downstream of Wnt/?-catenin signaling pathway and stimulates the growth of neuroendocrine tumor cells.
General description
Neurotensin (NT) is encoded by the gene mapped to human chromosome 12q21.31. The encoded protein is a tridecapeptide with pGlu–Leu–Tyr–Glu–Asn–Lys–Pro–Arg–Arg–Pro–Tyr–Ile–Leu–COOH amino acid sequence. NT is widely distributed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and central nervous system (CNS), but at high levels in hypothalamus, amygdala and nucleus accumbens as well as at low levels in peripheral blood.