S 17092-1, A New Post-Proline Cleaving Enzyme Inhibitor: Memory Enhancing Effects and Substance P Neuromodulatory Activity

Besides acetylcholine and biogenic amines, some neuropeptides have been described for their potent biological effects and more especially for their memory enhancing properties. Among them, substance P (SP) was demonstrated as improving both learning and recall performances of rodents in a variety of memory tasks (Huston and Hasenohrl, 1995). Other neuropeptides such as arginine-vasopressin or TRH (Dantzer et al., 1988; Giovannini et al., 1991) as well as SP (Stanfield et al., 1985; Feuerstein et al., 1996) were described as cognition enhancers with positive modulatory effects on cerebral cholinergic activity. Moreover, decreases in SP levels were reported in both cortical (Alzheimer’s disease, AD) and subcortical (Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, PD and HD) neurode-generative diseases (Kanazawa et al., 1977; Mauborgne et al., 1983; Quigley and Kowall, 1991).