CART peptide, known by the name CARTPT - Cocaine-And Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein.
CART peptide is a satiety factor closely associated with the actions of leptin and neuropeptide Y. This anorectic peptide inhibits both normal and starvation-induced feeding and completely blocks the feeding response induced by neuropeptide Y (NPY) and regulated by leptin in the hypothalamus. It promotes neuronal development and survival in vitro¹.

CART peptide is a widely distributed neurotransmitter expressed in the central nervous systems, with a role in reward and reinforcement, feeding, development, sensory processing, stress, and endocrine control. Expression of CART peptide dominates in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic (DA) system that extends from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and includes other limbic areas (amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex), and is also widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS)².

CART peptide exerted inhibitory effect on psychostimulant-enhanced dopamine receptors signaling, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase signaling and crucial transcription factors expression. Besides modulation of dopamine receptors-related pathways, CART peptide also exhibited elaborated interactions with other neurotransmitter receptors, such as glutamate receptors and γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, which further account for attribution of CART peptide to inhibition of psychostimulant-potentiated locomotor activity. CART peptide has been shown to have anxiolytic functions on the aversive mood and uncontrolled drug-seeking behaviors following drug withdrawal. Moreover, microinjection of CART peptide has been shown to have an anti-depressant effect, which suggests its potential utility in the mood regulation and avoidance of depression-like behaviors³.