Corticotropin-releasing hormone system

Makino S, Takemiua T, Asaba K, Nishiyama M, Takao T, Hashimoto K (1997) Differential regulation of type-1 and type-2a corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the rat. Mol Brain Res 47 170-176 Makino S, Hashimoto K, Gold PW (2002) Multiple feedback mechanisms activating corticotropin-releasing hormone system in the brain during stress. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 73 147-158... 

CRH (Corticotropin releasing hormone) is expressed in the nucleus paraventricularis of the hypothalamus and drives the stress hormone system by activating synthesis and release of corticotropin at the pituitary and in turn corticosteroid from the adrenal cortex. CRH is also expressed at many other brain locations not involved in neuroendocrine regulation, e.g. the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. Preclinical studies have shown that CRH also coordinates the behavioral adaptation to stress (e.g. anxiety, loss of appetite, decreased sleepiness, autonomic changes, loss of libido). 

Bale TL, Contarino A, Smith GW, Chan R, Gold LH, Sawchenko PE, Koob GF, Vale WW, Lee KF (2000) Mice deficient for corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor-2 display anxiety-like behaviour and are hypersensitive to stress. Nat Genet 24 410-414 Bale TL, Picetti R, Contarino A, Koob GF, Vale WW, Lee KF (2002) Mice deficient for both corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFRl) and CRFR2 have an impaired stress response and display dichotomous anxiety-like behavior. J Neurosci 22 193-199 Barberis C, Tribollet M (1996) Vasopressin and oxytocin receptors in the central nervous system. Grit RevNeurobiol 10 119-154... 

Hsu SY, Hsueh AJW (2001) Human stresscopin and stresscopinn-related peptide are selective ligands for the corticotropin-releasing hormone type 2 receptor. Nat Med 7 605-611 lino K, Sasano H, Oki Y, Andoh N, Shin RW, Kitamoto T, Takahashi K, Suzuki H, Tezuka F, Yoshimi T, Nagura H (1999) Urocortin expression in the human central nervous system. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 50 107-114... 

Linthorst ACE, Flachskamm C, Hopkins SH, Hoadley ME, Labeur MS, Holsboer F, Reul JMHM (1997) Long-term intracerebroventricular infusion of corticotropin-releasing hormone alters neuroendocrine, neurochemical, autonomic, behavioral, and cytokine responses to a systemic inflammatory challenge. J Neurosci 17 4448-4460... 

M iiller MB, Landgraf R, SiUaber I, Kresse AE, Keck ME, Zimmermann S, Holsboer F, Wurst W (2000) Selective activation of the hypothalamic vasopressin ergic system in mice deficient for the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 is dependent on glucocorticoids. Endocrinology 141 4262-4269... 

Ressler KJ, Nemeroff CB (2000) Role of serotonergic and noradrenergic systems in the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety 12 2-19 Reul JMHM, Holsboer F (2002) Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors 1 and 2 in anxiety and depression. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2 23-33 Rex A, Marsden CA, Fink H (1993) 5-HTlA receptors and changes in extracellular 5-HT in the guinea-pigprefrontal cortex—involvementin aversive behaviour. J Psychopharmacol 7 338-345... 

Effects of early environmental adversity on HPA mediation of neurodevelopment have also been demonstrated in non-human primates (Coplan et al., 1995). Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) intracerebro-ventricular administration in rhesus monkeys that had been separated from their mothers produced behavioral inhibition and increases in ACTH and cortisol. Coplan et al (1995) presented evidence for persistently elevated cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in grown macaques that had been reared by mothers in unpredictable environmental conditions. Further studies in adversely reared adult monkeys demonstrated an inverse relationship between mean CRF concentrations and GH response to clonidine (Coplan et al., 2000). In light of evidence that reduced GH response to clonidine has been shown in other anxiety disorders (Charney and Bremner, 1999), Coplan et al. (2000) hypothesize that GH response to clonidine may inversely reflect trait-like increases of central nervous system CRF activity. Data linking childhood anxiety to growth deficits are consistent with this view (Pine et al., 1996). Activity, of the HPA axis, as related to early environmental... 

Avishai-Eliner, Sarit Su-Jin, Yi Baram, Tallie Z. Developmental profile of messenger RNA for the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor in the rat limbic system. Dev Brain Res 1996 91 159-163. 

Intracerebral or systemic administration of IL-1 P enhances NREM sleep in mice, rats, rabbits, cats, monkeys, and humans (reviewed in Refs. 40,46), and TNF-a promotes NREM sleep in rabbits, mice, rats, and sheep (reviewed in Refs. 40,46). Both NREM sleep time and intensity (EEG slow-wave activity) increase after IL-1 3 or TNF-a. In rats and cats, only low doses of IL-1 stimulate NREM sleep. In contrast, higher doses decrease NREM sleep, perhaps owing to IL-ip-induced stimulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which is known to suppress NREM sleep (55,56). A correlation is observed between plasma TNF-a concentrations and sleepiness or fatigue in a number of clinical conditions. Thus, TNF-a is... 

However, there is a strong interplay between the different neurotransmitter systems in the CNS. E.g., NE not only mediates other neurotransmitter system, but also gets modified by others. NE interacts with acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine (Beani et al., 1978) (Vizi and Pasztor, 1981) (Bianchi et al., 1979) (Murphy et al., 1998) (Gresch et al., 1995). In addition, NE modulates neurotrophic factors like corticotropin-releasing hormone (Melia and... 

Murray and coauthors (Murray et al. 2001) claim that corticotropin-releasing hormones, catecholamines, neuropeptides, and steroid hormones produced throughout the central nervous system as well as in several peripheral sites including the pituitary, testes, ovaries, heart, adrenals, and immune tissues play an important role in the immunomodulatory mechanism of stress affecting human or animal bodies. 

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