neurotensin

A 13–amino acid peptide neurotransmitter found in synapsomes in the hypothalamus, amygdala, basal ganglia, and dorsal gray matter of the spinal cord; it plays a role in pain perception, but its analgesic effects are not blocked by opioid antagonists; it also affects pituitary hormone release and gastrointestinal function.

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neu·ro·ten·sin -'ten(t)-sən n a protein composed of 13 amino acid residues that causes hypertension and vasodilation and is present in the brain

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neu·ro·ten·sin (noor″o-tenґsin) a tridecapeptide found in the small intestine and brain; it induces vasodilatation and hypotension and in the brain it is a neurotransmitter.