Abstract
The natural tridecapeptide neurotensin has been emerged as a promising therapeutic scaffold for the treatment of neurological diseases and cancer. In this work, we aimed to identify the top 100 most cited original research papers as well as recent key studies related to neurotensins. The Web of Science Core Collection database was searched and the retrieved research articles were analyzed by using the VOSviewer software. The most cited original articles were published between 1973 and 2013. The top-cited article was by Carraway and Leeman reporting the discovery of neurotensin in 1973. The highly cited terms were associated with hypotension and angiotensin-converting-enzyme. The conducted analysis reveals the therapeutic potentials of neurotensin, and further impactful research toward its clinical development is warrantied.
Graphical abstract
Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest
References
- 1. . Isolation and structure of a new active peptide “Xenopsin” on the smooth muscle, especially on a strip of fundus from a rat stomach, from the skin of Xenopus laevis. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 21(12), 2801–2804 (1973). •• Describes the isolation of xenopsin.
- 2. . The isolation of a new hypotensive peptide, neurotensin, from bovine hypothalami. J. Biol. Chem. 248(19), 6854–6861 (1973). •• First describes the isolation of neurotensin.
- 3. Reduced peptide bond pseudopeptide analogues of neurotensin. Pept. Res. 5(1), 30–38 (1992).
- 4. . Neuromedin N: a novel neurotensin-like peptide identified in porcine spinal cord. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 122(2), 542–549 (1984). •• Describes the isolation and identification of neuromedin N.
- 5. . Xenin – a review. Peptides 19(3), 609–615 (1998).
- 6. . Neurotensin and neurotensin receptors. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 20(7), 302–309 (1999).
- 7. . Neurotensin and its high affinity receptor 1 as a potential pharmacological target in cancer therapy. Front. Endocrinol. 3, 184 (2013).
- 8. . Alterations in nociception and body temperature after intracisternal administration of neurotensin, beta-endorphin, other endogenous peptides, and morphine. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 76(10), 5368–5371 (1979).
- 9. . JMV 449: a pseudopeptide analogue of neurotensin-(8–13) with highly potent and long-lasting hypothermic and analgesic effects in the mouse. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 219(2), 327–329 (1992).
- 10. . Centrally administered neurotensin suppresses locomotor hyperactivity induced by d-amphetamine but not by scopolamine or caffeine. Neuropharmacology 25(7), 777–782 (1986).
- 11. . The amino acid sequence of a hypothalamic peptide, neurotensin. J. Biol. Chem. 250(5), 1907–1911 (1975). •• Presents a unique amino acid sequence for neurotensin and method for its isolation.
- 12. Design and structure-activity relationships of C-terminal cyclic neurotensin fragment analogs. J. Med. Chem. 38(2), 249–257 (1995).
- 13. . Synthesis of peptides by the solid-phase method. 6. Neurotensin, fragments, and analogs. J. Med. Chem. 24(4), 370–376 (1981).
- 14. Use of molecular modeling to design selective NTS2 neurotensin analogues. J. Med. Chem. 60(8), 3303–3313 (2017).
- 15. . et al. Double-stabilized neurotensin analogues as potential radiopharmaceuticals for NTR-positive tumors. Nucl. Med. Biol. 33(4), 495–503 (2006).
- 16. . Modifications at Arg and Ile give neurotensin (8–13) derivatives with high stability and retained NTS1 receptor affinity. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 10(6), 960–965 (2019).
- 17. . Biosynthesis, maturation, release, and degradation of neurotensin and neuromedin N. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 668(1), 30–42 (1992). • Describes the distribution of immunoreactiive neurotensin (iNT) and neuromedin N (iNN) in peripheral tissues.
- 18. . Purification and characterization of a novel neurotensin-degrading peptidase from rat brain synaptic membranes. J. Biol. Chem. 261(24), 11274–11281 (1986). •• First describes the purification and full characterization of a novel neurotensins (NT)-degrading enzyme named neurolysin.
- 19. . Structure, functional expression, and cerebral localization of the levocabastine-sensitive neurotensin/neuromedin N receptor from mouse brain. J. Neurosci. 16(18), 5613–5620 (1996).
- 20. The 100-kDa neurotensin receptor is gp95/sortilin, a non-G-protein-coupled receptor. J. Biol. Chem. 273(41), 26273–26276 (1998).
- 21. Cloning and expression of a complementary DNA encoding a high affinity human neurotensin receptor. FEBS Lett. 317(1–2), 139–142 (1993).
- 22. Structural optimization and characterization of potent analgesic macrocyclic analogues of neurotensin (8–13). J. Med. Chem. 61(16), 7103–7115 (2018).
- 23. . Neurotensin and neurotensin receptors: characteristic, structure–activity relationship and pain modulation – a review. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 716(1–3), 54–60 (2013).
- 24. . Neurotensin and neurotensin receptors in health and diseases: a brief review. Indian J. Biochem. Bio. 54, 7–23 (2017).
- 25. Immunohistochemical localization of neurotensin in endocrine cells of the gut. Cell Tissue Res. 178, 313–321 (1977).
- 26. Effects of peripheral neurotensin on appetite regulation and its role in gastric bypass surgery. Endocrinology 157(9), 3482–3492 (2016).
- 27. . Elevation of plasma neurotensin – like immunoreactivity after meal. J. Clin. Invest. 70(1), 74–81 (1982).
- 28. . Physiological role of neurotensin in gall bladder contraction in dog. Surg. Forum 35, 192–194 (1994).
- 29. . Inhibition of gastric and intestinal motor activity in dogs by neurotensin. Acta Physiol. Scand. 100(2), 231–235 (1977).
- 30. . Neurotensin modulates the composition of pancreatic exocrine secretion in chicken. J. Exp. Zool. 283(4–5), 455–462 (1999).
- 31. . Enhancement of jejunal absorption of conjugated bile acid by neurotensin in rats. Gastroentrology 120(1), 151–160 (2001).
- 32. . Inhibition of gastric and intestinal motor activity in dogs by neurotensin. Acta Physiol. Scand. 100(2), 231–235 (1977).
- 33. A review of the role on neurotensin and its receptors in colorectal cancer. Gastroent. Res. Pract. 2017, Art. ID 6456257, 8 (2017).
- 34. . Neurotensin and a nonpeptide neurotensin receptor antagonist control human colon cancer cell growth in cell culture and in cells xenografted into nude mice. Int. J. Cancer 80(3), 448–454 (1999).
- 35. Novel neurotensin analogues for radioisotope targeting to neurotensin receptor-positive tumors. Bioconjugate Chem. 20(8), 1602–1610 (2009).
- 36. Facile preparation of a thio-reactive (18)F-labeling agent and synthesis of (18)F-DEG-VS-NT for PET imaging of a neurotensin receptor-positive tumor. J. Nucl. Med. 55(7), 1178–1184 (2014).
- 37. . A stable neurotensin-based radiopharmaceutical for targeted imaging and therapy of neurotensin receptor-positive tumors. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. I. 36(1), 37–47 (2009).
- 38. The combined use of serum neurotensin and IL-8 as screening markers for colorectal cancer. Tumor Biol. 35(6), 5993–6002 (2014).
- 39. . In vitro and in vivo treatment of colon cancer by VIP antagonists. Regul. Pept. 109(1–3), 127–133 (2002).
- 40. Indirect inhibitory effect of a neurotensin receptor antagonist on human colon cancer (LoVo) growth. Surg. Oncol. 5(5–6), 245–251 (1996).
- 41. Neurotensin receptor 1 antagonist SR-48692 improves response to carboplatin by enhancing apoptosis and inhibiting drug efflux in ovarian cancer. Clin. Cancer Res. 23(21), 6516–6528 (2017).
- 42. . Neurotensin administered intracisternally inhibits responsiveness of mice to noxious stimuli. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 46(4), 395–396 (1977).
- 43. . Neurotensin: antinocisponsive action in rodents. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 54(1–2), 129–139 (1979).
- 44. . Neurotensin and dopamine interactions. Pharmacol. Rev. 53(4), 453–486 (2001).
- 45. . NT69L, a novel analgesic, shows synergy with morphine. Brain Res. 1294, 22–28 (2009).
- 46. . Neurotensin and pain modulation. Peptides 27(10), 2405–2414 (2006).
- 47. . A neurotensin analog blocks cocaine-conditioned place preference and reinstatement. Behav. Pharmacol. 27(2), 236–239 (2016).
- 48. NTS2-selective neurotensin mimetics with tetrahydrofuran amino acids. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 25(1), 350–359 (2017).
- 49. . The potential use of the neurotensin high affinity receptor 1 as a biomarker for cancer progression and as a component of personalized medicine in selective cancers. Biochimie 93(9), 1369–1378 (2011).
- 50. . Role of gastrointestinal hormones in the proliferation of normal and neoplastic tissues. Endocr. Rev. 24(5), 571–599 (2003).
- 51. Preventive effect of two new neurotensin analogues on Parkinson's disease rat model. J. Mol. Neurosci. 66(4), 552–560 (2018).
- 52. . Neuropeptide receptor ligands as drugs for psychiatric diseases: the end of the beginning? Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 11(6), 462–478 (2012).
- 53. . Neurotensin receptors: a new marker for human ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gut 42(4), 546–550 (1998).
- 54. . Neurotensin receptors in human neoplasms: high incidence in Ewing's sarcomas. Int. J. Cancer 82(2), 213–218 (1999).
- 55. Expression of neurotensin and NT1 receptor in human breast cancer: a potential role in tumor progression. Cancer Res. 66(12), 6243–6249 (2006).
- 56. Neurotensin receptor and its mRNA are expressed in many human colon cancer cell lines but not in normal colonic epithelium: binding studies and RT-PCR experiments. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 203(1), 465–471 (1994).
- 57. Cell-penetrating pepducins targeting the neurotensin receptor type 1 relieve pain. Pharmacol. Res. 155, 104750 (2020).
- 58. . Emerging role of neurotensin in regulation of the cardiovascular system. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 762, 184–192 (2015).
- 59. . Hypothermia and intolerance to cold induced by intracisternal administration of the hypothalamic peptide neurotensin. Nature 262(5569), 607–609 (1976). • In this paper are investigated the effects of centrally administered neurotensin on thermoregulation.
- 60. . Neurotensin induces hypothermia by activation both neuronal neurotensin receptor 1 and astrocytic neurotensin receptor 2 in the median preoptic nucleus. Neuropharmacology 171, 108069 (2020).
- 61. Antipsychotic-like effects of a neurotensin receptor type 1 agonist. Behav. Brain Res. 305, 8–17 (2016).
- 62. Neurotensin NTS1-dopamine D2 receptor-receptor interactions in putative receptor heteromers: relevance for Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Curr. Protein Pept. Sci. 15(7), 681–690 (2014).
- 63. Discovery of highly potent and neurotensin receptor 2 selective neurotensin mimetics. J. Med. Chem. 54(8), 2915–2923 (2011).
- 64. Identification of N-[(5-{[(4-methylphenyl) sulfonyl] amino}-3-(trifluoroacetyl)-1 H-indol-1-yl) acetyl]-L-leucine (NTRC-824), a neurotensin-like nonpeptide compound selective for the neurotensin receptor type 2. J. Med. Chem. 57(17), 7472–7477 (2014).
- 65. . Genetic analysis of the hypothalamic neurotensin system. Neuropsychopharmacology 31(3), 535–543 (2006).
- 66. . Functional roles of the NTS2 and NTS3 receptors. Peptides 27(10), 2469–2475 (2006).
- 67. . Neurotensin receptor 3/sortilin contributes to tumorigenesis of neuroendocrine tumors through augmentation of cell adhesion and migration. Neoplasia 20(2), 175–181 (2018).
- 68. Structure of the agonist-bound neurotensin receptor. Nature 490(7421), 508–513 (2012).
- 69. Structure-based evolution of subtype-selective neurotensin receptor ligands. ChemistryOpen 3(5), 206–218 (2014).
- 70. . Ligands bind to sortilin in the tunnel of a ten-bladed β-propeller domain. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 16(1), 96–98 (2009).
- 71. . Structure and functional expression of the cloned rat neurotensin receptor. Neuron 4(6), 847–854 (1990).
- 72. Label-free cell phenotypic profiling and pathway deconvolution of neurotensin receptor 1. Pharmacol. Res. 108, 39–45 (2016).
- 73. . Regulation of the neurotensin receptor and intracellular calcium mobilization in HT29 cells. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 253(3), 1049–1056 (1990).
- 74. . Gαq11 mediates neurotensin excitation of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. Mol. Brain Res. 36(1), 29–36 (1996).
- 75. . Neurotensin stimulates protein kinase C-dependent mitogenic signaling in human pancreatic carcinoma cell line PANC-1. Cancer Res. 63(10), 2379–2387 (2003).
- 76. . Neurotensin stimulates IL-8 expression in human colonic epithelial cells through Rho GTPase-mediated NF-κB pathways. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 284(6), C1397–C1404 (2003).
- 77. . The role of neurotensin in central nervous system pathophysiology: what is the evidence? J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 31(4), 229–245 (2006).
- 78. . Neurotensin receptor 1 facilitates intracellular and transepithelial delivery of macromolecules. Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 119, 300–309 (2017).
- 79. Molecular cloning of a levocabastine-sensitive neurotensin binding site. FEBS Lett. 386(2–3), 91–94 (1996).
- 80. . Evidence for a displaceable nonspecific [3H] neurotensin binding site in rat brain. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 333(4), 400–405 (1986).
- 81. . Effects of SR 48692 on neurotensin-induced calcium-activated chloride currents in the Xenopus oocyte expression system: agonist-like activity on the levocabastine-sensitive neurotensin receptor and absence of antagonist effect on the levocabastine insensitive neurotensin receptor. Neurosci. Lett. 223(3), 193–196 (1997).
- 82. . Low-affinity neurotensin receptor (NTS2) signaling: internalization-dependent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2. Mol. Pharmacol. 66(6), 1421–1430 (2004).
- 83. . Neurotensin protects pancreatic beta cells from serum deprivation. Arch. Physiol. Biochem. 114(5), 299–300 (2008).
- 84. . Involvement of the neurotensin receptor-3 in the neurotensin-induced migration of human microglia. J. Neurosci. 23(4), 1198–1205 (2003).
- 85. . Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) as privileged molecular targets in neuroscience: research literature analysis. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 12, 143 (2019).
- 86. Current research in biotechnology: exploring the biotech forefront. Curr. Res. Biotechnol. 1, 34–40 (2019).
- 87. Food toxicology: quantitative analysis of the research field literature. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 71(1), 13–21 (2020).
- 88. . Antioxidants: scientific literature landscape analysis. Oxid. Med. Cell. Longev. 2019, 8278454 (2019).
- 89. Polyphenols: a concise overview on the chemistry, occurence, and human health. Phytother. Res. 33(9), 2221–2243 (2019).
- 90. . Extractable and non-extractable antioxidants. Molecules 24(10), 1933 (2019).
- 91. . Ethnopharmacology – a bibliometric analysis of a field of research meandering between medicine and food science? Front. Pharmacol. 9, 215 (2018).
- 92. . Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food: a bibliometric analysis of the most cited papers focusing on nutraceuticals and functional foods. Food Chem. 269, 455–465 (2018).
- 93. . Nutraceuticals: beyound the diet before the drugs. Curr. Bioact. Compd 10(1), 1–12 (2014).
- 94. . When neuroscience meets pharmacology: a neuropharmacology literature analysis. Front. Neurosci. 12, 852 (2018).
- 95. . From pharmaceuticals to nutraceuticlas: bridging disease prevention and management. Expert Rev. Clin. Pharmacol. 12(1), 1–7 (2019).
- 96. . Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics 84(2), 523–538 (2009).
- 97. A novel angiotensin-converting enzyme–related carboxypeptidase (ACE2) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin 1–9. Circ. Res. 87(5), e1–e9 (2000).
- 98. Inhibition of calpains prevents neuronal and behavioral deficits in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease. J. Neurosci. 23(10), 4081–4091 (2003).
- 99. . Alzheimer's disease: changes in hippocampal N-methyl-d-aspartate, quisqualate, neurotensin, adenosine, benzodiazepine, serotonin and opioid receptors – an autoradiographic study. Neuroscience 39(3), 613–627 (1990).
- 100. Molecular neuroscience at its “high”: bibliometric analysis of the most cited papers on endocannabinoid system, cannabis and cannabinoids. J. Cannabis Res. 1(1), 4 (2019).
- 101. . Effect of neurotensin, substance P and morphine sulfate on the secretion of propactin and growth hormone in the rat. Endocrinology 100(3), 751–754 (1977). • Provides investigations of the action of neurotensin and substance P in comparison to morphine on the in vivo secretion of prolactin and growth chormone.
- 102. . In vivo and in vitro effects of substance P and neurotensin on gonadotropin and prolactin release. Endocrinology 105(1), 64–68 (1979).
- 103. . Regional distribution of neurotensin and somatostatin in rat brain. Brain Res. 126(3), 584–588 (1977).
- 104. . Calcium-dependent release of somatostatin and neurotensin from rat brain in vitro. Nature 273, 161–163 (1978).
- 105. . Acute immobilization stress triggers skin mast cell degranulation via corticotropin releasing hormone, neurotensin, and substance P: a link to neurogenic skin disorders. Brain Behav. Immun. 13(3), 225–239 (1999).
- 106. . Neurotensin receptors are located on dopamine-containing neurons in rat midbrain. Nature 294, 587–589 (1981).
- 107. Phenotypical characterization of neurons expressing the dopamine D3 receptor in the rat brain. Neuroscience 65(3), 731–745 (1995).
- 108. Structure of signaling-competent neurotensin receptor 1 by directed evolution in Escherichia coli. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 111(6), E655–E662 (2014).
- 109. An obligatory role for neurotensin in high-fat-diet-induced obesity. Nature 533, 411–415 (2016).
- 110. An analysis of cosecretion and coexpression of gut hormones from male rat proximal and sistal small intestine. Endocrinology 156(3), 847–857 (2015).
- 111. . Experimental stroke: neurolysin back on stage. J. Neurochem. 129, 1–3 (2014).
- 112. . Neurolysin: from initial detection to latest advances. Neurochem. Res. 43, 2017–2024 (2018).
- 113. Characterization of thimet oligopeptidase and neurolysin activates in B16F10-nex2 tumor cells and their involvement in angiogenesis and tumor growth. Mol. Cancer 6, 44 (2007).
- 114. . Changes of neuropeptides and their receptors in experimental stroke gerbil brains. J. Neurol. Sci. 108(1), 88–92 (1992).
- 115. . Ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury: the role of the kallikrein-kini system. Prog. Neurobiol. 101–102, 65–82 (2013).
- 116. The role of neurotensin and its receptors in nongastrointestinal cancers: a review. Cell Commun. Signal. 18(68), 1–10 (2020).
- 117. Neurotensin receptor 1 is expressed in gastrointestinal stromal tumors but not in interstitial cells of cajal. PLoS ONE 6(2), e14710 (2020).
- 118. Structure of the neurotensin receptor 1 in complex with β-arrestin 1. Nature 573, 303–308 (2020).
- 119. Conformational changes in tyrosine 11 of neurotensin are required to activate the neurotensin receptor 1. ACS Pharmacol. Transl. Sci. 3(4), 690–705 (2020).
- 120. . Pharmacokinetics of novel hexapeptides with neurotensin activity in rats. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 16(1), 43–47 (1993).
- 121. . Neurotensin analogs indications for use as potential antipsychotic compounds. Life Sci. 70(10), 1101–1119 (2002).
- 122. In vitro binding and CNS effects of novel neurotensin agonists that cross the blood–brain barrier. Neuropharmacology 38(7), 1027–1034 (1999).
- 123. . Effects of a novel neurotensin peptide analog given extracranially on CNS behaviors mediated by apomorphine and haloperidol. Brain Res. 856, 48–54 (2000).
- 124. . Highly potent neurotensin analog that causes hypothermia and antinociception. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 390, 107–111 (2000).
- 125. . The anti-apoptotic role of neurotensin. Cells 2(1), 124–135 (2013).
- 126. Expression of neurotensin receptors in human corneal keratocytes. IOVS 43, 1765–1771 (2002).
- 127. A novel stroke therapy of pharmacologically induced hypothermia after focal cerebral ischemia in mice. FASEB J. 26(7), 2799–2810 (2012).
- 128. Use of molecular modeling to design selective NTS2 neurotensin analogues. J. Med. Chem. 60(8), 3303–3313 (2017).
- 129. Reduced amide bond neurotensin 8–13 mimetics with potent in vivo activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 5(9), 997–1002 (1995).
- 130. Mimicking of arginine by functionalized Nω-carbamoylated arginine as a new broadly applicable approach to labeled bioactive peptides: high affinity angiotensin, neuropeptide Y, neuropeptide FF, and neurotensin receptor ligands as examples. J. Med. Chem. 59(5), 1925–1945 (2016).
- 131. Fluorescence labeling of neurotensin(8–13) via arginine residues gives molecular tools with high receptor affinity. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 11(1), 16–22 (2020).
- 132. . Radiolabelled RGD peptides for imaging and therapy. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging 39, 126–138 (2012).
- 133. . Radiopharmaceutical development of radiolabelled peptides. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging. 39, 11–30 (2012).
- 134. . Peptide labeling strategies for imaging agents. Methods Mol. Biol. 1088, 171–183 (2014).