Behavioural effects of receptor-specific substance P agonists.

Septide and senktide are synthetic substance P (SP) agonists with extremely high selectivity for 1 of the 3 known SP receptor subtypes. When injected intrathecally, they produced dramatically different behavioural effects. Septide, the selective SP-P receptor agonist, evoked intense, compulsive scratching, biting and licking of the hind limb, with no sign of motor flaccidity, and without measurable effect on responses to noxious thermal or mechanical stimulation of the foot or tail. In contrast, senktide, the selective SP-N receptor agonist, produced profound, but transient, motor flaccidity, reduced response to noxious stimuli and, at low doses, 'wet-dog shakes.' These various symptoms, all previously associated with SP and/or synthetic SP analogues, appear therefore to derive from activation of distinct SP receptor subtypes.