绵羊下丘脑中分离并描述了垂体腺苷酸酶活化多肽（PACAP）的氨基酸序列、基因、受体及其基因以及它在哺乳动物机体中的分布。PACAP是神经肠肽家族的一员，其最近的亲属是血管活性肠肽（VIP）。其广泛存在表明它在生理过程中起着重要作用。为了动物模型，全世界都在密切研究PACAP在各种疾病可能的治疗中的作用。该工作的第一部分包含与哺乳动物体内肽及其受体的结构、基因和出现的最重要的实验数据。在第二部分中，我们根据器官系统综述了人体材料不断增加的数据。该综述包含了在临床实践中使用PACAP进行治疗的可能性。确定血液中PACAP的浓度将有助于建立临床和鉴别诊断。将来可能会有一种非侵入性治疗表达PACAP受体的肿瘤的可能性。PACAP调节垂体功能，刺激抗利尿激素释放、肾上腺素分泌、胰岛素分泌。它是平滑肌松弛剂，能免疫抑制剂。PACAP是一种神经递质，在多种神经系统疾病中具有神经保护作用，且对外周器官具有细胞保护作用。PACAP抑制凋亡和前炎症因子形成，刺激抗炎因子的产生和肿瘤细胞的发展。PACAP参与调节生理功能的日节律。

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) was isolated and characterized from sheep hypothalami. Its amino acid sequence, gene, receptors and receptor genes and its distribution in the mammalian organism were soon described. PACAP is a member of the secretin peptide family. Its closest relative is the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). Its widespread occurrence suggests that it plays a significant role in physiological processes. With the aim of animal models, the role of PACAP was intensively investigated worldwide in a possible treatment of various diseases. The first part of this work contains the most important experimental data regarding the structure, genes and occurrence of the peptide and its receptors in mammalian body. In the second part, we overviewed the ever-increasing data on human material according to organ systems. The review contains the data where there is a chance to use PACAP for therapeutic purposes in the clinical practice. Determining the concentration of PACAP in the blood would help in establishing a clinical and differential diagnosis. In the future, there may be a possibility for non-invasive therapy of tumors expressing PACAP receptors. PACAP regulates the pituitary functions, stimulates vasopressin release, adrenalin secretion, insulin secretion. It is smooth muscle relaxant, immunosuppressant. PACAP is a neurotransmitter, it is neuroprotective in various diseases of the nervous system and cytoprotective in peripheral organs. PACAP inhibits apoptosis and the formation of pro-inflammatory factors and stimulates the anti-inflammatory factors and development of tumor cells. PACAP participates in regulating the daily rhythm of physiological functions. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(33): 1300-1310.