Cortistatin-17 shows structural similarities to somatostatin. The peptide binds to all somatostatin receptor subtypes (SSTR) in a similar way as the rat cortistatin. Its inhibitory effects on forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in chinese hamster ovary cells expressing SSTR2-5 are dose dependent but slightly less efficient than that of somatostatin-14. Like the rat cortistatin it has an effect on sleep and wakefulness pattern in rat. It decreases the light slow wave sleep (SWS1) and increases the deep slow wave sleep (SWS2) in a dose dependent manner. Administration of the peptide causes a temporary flattening of cortical and hippocampal electroencephalograms.