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Pick up to three peptides to see how their mechanisms, studied uses and evidence levels differ. Rows where the entries disagree are marked with a blue edge.
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Comparison
PACAP-38
Cognitive & neuro
Evidence level
Limited evidence
Approval status
Investigational
Mechanism of action
- 1.Activates PAC1 and VPAC receptors, raising intracellular cAMP.
- 2.Dilates cranial blood vessels and activates trigeminal sensory neurons.
- 3.Has neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects in cell and animal models of injury.
- 4.Modulates stress responses and circadian signalling in the brain.
- 5.In migraine sufferers, infusion reliably triggers delayed migraine-like attacks.
Studied for
- Migraine provocation studies in humans
- Neuroprotection in stroke and injury models
- Stress, anxiety and learning in rodents
- Drug development against the PACAP pathway
Reported effects
- Reliable mild headache during infusion and migraine-like attacks hours later in migraine patients
- Flushing and a transient fall in blood pressure
- Cognitive benefits in humans are not established
- Neuroprotective effects remain preclinical
Side effects
- Headache and migraine provocation
- Flushing
- Transient hypotension and tachycardia
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
Research protocol
Research context only - investigational. Human studies infused 10 to 20 micrograms per kilogram intravenously over about 20 minutes and recorded headache and migraine-like attacks over 12 hours. Animal experiments use far smaller central doses.
Research context only
Evidence justification
Human trials are small provocation studies measuring headache rather than cognition; the neuroprotective claims rest entirely on animal data.