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Neuropeptide S

NPS
Cognitive
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Category
Cognitive
Evidence grade
D
PubMed records
420
Female-tagged
80
Sex-analysis
5
CAS
—
D
Evidence grade D, Preclinical / animal evidence only across 420 indexed studies. No human trial data. How grades work →
Female evidence: None
Neuropeptide S: of 420 PubMed records, 80 are tagged as including female subjects and 5 carry a sex-analysis tag.Counts reflect PubMed records as of 2026-07-21. “Female” uses the Female MeSH filter and “sex-analysis” the Sex Factors MeSH filter, automated proxies pending manual study-level review. Methodology →

Overview

Neuropeptide S is a signaling peptide that acts through its own dedicated receptor, NPSR, a pairing that gave researchers a relatively clean system to study arousal and anxiety-related behavior. It was characterized comparatively recently, which places much of its literature in the modern neuroscience record.

In preclinical models, neuropeptide S has been studied for its association with wakefulness, arousal, and anxiety-related signaling, often in behavioral paradigms designed to separate arousal from sedation. Investigators working on stress and arousal circuits have used it as a research material for probing the NPS/NPSR system.

What makes neuropeptide S a useful catalog entry is the specificity of its receptor pairing, which supports isolated mechanistic study. Whether these mechanisms translate the same way across female physiology remains an open research question; our evidence review tracks how many of the underlying studies included women.

Summary

Neuropeptide S is an endogenous neuropeptide studied for arousal, anxiety, and memory, mainly in animal models. There are no controlled human therapeutic trials and no female-specific outcome data, though its receptor gene is linked to anxiety traits in people.

Evidence in women

Menstrual cycle
Unstudied
Anxiety can vary across the cycle, but neuropeptide S has not been studied by cycle phase in humans.
Pregnancy & lactation
Unstudied
No pregnancy or lactation safety data exist.
Hormonal interactions
Unstudied
No controlled data on reproductive- or thyroid-hormone interactions.
Perimenopause & menopause
Unstudied
No perimenopausal or menopausal data.
Sex differences
Unstudied
Preclinical studies have begun including both sexes but have not established human sex differences.

Mechanism

Activates the NPS receptor to promote wakefulness and reduce anxiety-like behavior in preclinical models.

Reported dosing & routes

◐

We don't give dosing or medical advice. The figures below describe what was used in published research, not a recommendation. Decide with your clinician.

Reported range (literature)No established human dose; effects shown in animal models.
Routesintranasal, intracerebroventricular
Female-specific dosingNot established

Contraindications: insufficient data to characterize

Side effects

Reported in the research literature. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records.

insufficient human data to characterize

Neuropeptide S reconstitution calculator

Enter this vial's amount, the bacteriostatic water you add, and a target amount to get the concentration and the U-100 syringe units to draw. Handling arithmetic for research use, not a dose recommendation.

Reconstitution

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Draw for Neuropeptide S

5
units on a U-100 insulin syringe
020406080100
U-100 insulin syringe — 1 mL = 100 units
That's 0.05 mL drawn to the 5-unit mark.
Concentration5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL)
Volume to draw0.05 mL
Doses per vial40

Reference chart at 5 mg/mL

Target amountVolume (mL)U-100 units
100 mcg0.02 mL2
250 mcg0.05 mL5
500 mcg0.1 mL10
750 mcg0.15 mL15
1000 mcg0.2 mL20

Research-use arithmetic only. This tool converts a vial amount, diluent volume, and a target amount into a concentration and syringe draw for laboratory handling. It is not dosing guidance, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy, and it does not account for overfill, dead space, or peptide purity. Nothing here is medical advice. “U-100” means 100 units = 1 mL; confirm your syringe graduation before measuring. See the reconstitution & storage handbook for handling detail.

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn only from Neuropeptide S's research facts and, where reviewed, its sex-disaggregated evidence. Nothing here is medical advice, dosing, or a claim of safety or efficacy.

What is Neuropeptide S?

Neuropeptide S, also known as NPS, is a research compound in our cognitive category. Neuropeptide S is an endogenous neuropeptide studied for arousal, anxiety, and memory, mainly in animal models.

Is Neuropeptide S studied in women?

Neuropeptide S: of 420 PubMed records, 80 are tagged as including female subjects and 5 carry a sex-analysis tag. We grade this none: no PubMed record for Neuropeptide S is tagged as including female subjects, so its effects in women are effectively unstudied. That blank is the finding, not a safety signal, and we do not fill it with guesses.

Has Neuropeptide S been studied during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Unstudied. No pregnancy or lactation safety data exist. This is not a safety clearance or a recommendation. Vera, our research chat, deliberately hard-stops on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying-to-conceive questions rather than answer them.

What evidence grade does Neuropeptide S have, and why?

Neuropeptide S carries evidence grade D. Preclinical / animal evidence only across 420 indexed studies. No human trial data.. Grades are derived from the research record, never hand-assigned; see how grades work.

Is there a female-specific dose for Neuropeptide S?

No. A female-specific dose for Neuropeptide S is not established, and this site does not provide dosing or medical advice. Any figures we show describe what published research used, not a recommendation. Decide anything about use with a qualified clinician.

How is Neuropeptide S administered in research?

In the published literature, Neuropeptide S is administered via intranasal, intracerebroventricular. Reported dose ranges on the Dosing tab describe what studies used for laboratory research, not a protocol for people. We don't provide dosing.

What side effects have been reported for Neuropeptide S?

Effects reported in the research literature include insufficient human data to characterize. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records, so these are not broken out for women.

How should Neuropeptide S be stored and handled?

Neuropeptide S sold for research is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Lyophilized peptides are generally kept cold and dry, at roughly -20°C for longer-term storage and 2-8°C short-term, protected from light. Once reconstituted they are typically refrigerated and used within a short window, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles. This is general laboratory handling for research use only, not a directive for human use. Always follow the handling and purity details on the product's Certificate of Analysis.

Where can I buy Neuropeptide S for research?

Neuropeptide S is not currently listed by our research-use partner, Aurevena Research, but their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 applies 15% off. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.

Browse the Aurevena catalog
Research-use supplier: Neuropeptide S isn't currently listed by our research-use vendor. Their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 for 15% off, applied automatically at checkout. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.
Browse the catalog →

Citations (PMID)

40758097 · 32188569

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Educational information for laboratory and research use only. Not medical advice, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy; no personal dosing. “Unstudied” means no qualifying study was found, not that a compound is safe or unsafe.