basic FUNCTION
| eliciting numerous functions, including inhibition of neurotransmitter release, regulation of pituitary hormone secretion and possibly food intake |
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playing a critical role for the development and function of specific subsets of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system |
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regulates neuroendocrine hypothalamic axes, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) one |
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plays a role in the modulation of HPA-axis response to stress, as well as in the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas and perhaps of pheochromocytomas |
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may be playing a modulatory rather than regulatory role in the central and peripheral branches of the neuroendocrine systems |