Anatomy and physiology of central galanin-containing pathways

Since the discovery of galanin (GAL) in 1983 numerous anatomical, physiological and pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that the peptide is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) and that it affects diverse functions including hormone secretion, neuronal activity and smooth muscle contractility. In this review we compile the information accumulated during the past seven years on the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of GAL. We have primarily focused our perspective in the CNS as well as upon the neuroendocrine aspects of the peptide. In each topic, we summarize the current findings and refer the reader to specific reviews or original papers dealing with specific paradigms.