Hypothalamic CRFR1 is essential for HPA axis regulation following chronic stress

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 385 - 388
• Main Authors: Ramot, Assaf, Jiang, Zhiying, Tian, Jin-Bin, Nahum, Tali, Kuperman, Yael, Justice, Nicholas, Chen, Alon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.03.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/19; 42/44; 631/378; 631/378/1831; 631/443; 64/60; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedicine; brief-communication; Care and treatment; Corticotropin-releasing hormone; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - pharmacology; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - physiology; Cortisone - blood; Genotype & phenotype; Health sciences; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiology; Hypothalamus; Locomotion - physiology; Male; Maze Learning - physiology; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - physiology; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - genetics; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - physiology; Stress; Stress (Psychology); Stress, Physiological - physiology; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Texas; United States > US; Israel
• ISSN: 1097-6256; 1546-1726
• DOI: 10.1038/nn.4491

Dysfunction of the neuroendocrine HPA axis is associated with a variety of physiological and psychological pathologies. The authors show that corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptors within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus are a key central component of HPA axis regulation that prepares the organism for chronic exposure to stressful stimuli. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is a pivotal component of an organism's response to stressful challenges, and dysfunction of this neuroendocrine axis is associated with a variety of physiological and psychological pathologies. We found that corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is an important central component of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis regulation that prepares the organism for successive exposure to stressful stimuli.