Response of the nitrergic system to activation of the neuroendocrine stress axis

Exposure to stressful stimuli causes activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which rapidly releases high concentrations of glucocorticoid stress hormones, resulting in increased cellular metabolism and spontaneous oxygen and nitrogen radical formation. High concentrations of nitrogen r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in neuroscience 2015-01, Vol.9, p.3-3
Main Authors: Chen, Hsiao-Jou Cortina, Spiers, Jereme G, Sernia, Conrad, Lavidis, Nickolas A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenal glands
Animal models
Anxiety
Depression
Endocrinology
Free radicals
Gene expression
Glucocorticoids
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis
Hypothalamus
Menopause
Metabolism
Metabolites
Mitochondria
Nervous system
Nitric Oxide
Nitrogen radicals
peroxynitrite
Pituitary
Stress response
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Summary:Exposure to stressful stimuli causes activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which rapidly releases high concentrations of glucocorticoid stress hormones, resulting in increased cellular metabolism and spontaneous oxygen and nitrogen radical formation. High concentrations of nitrogen radicals, including nitric oxide, cause damage to cellular proteins in addition to inhibiting components of the mitochondrial transport chain, leading to cellular energy deficiency. During stress exposure, pharmacological inhibition of nitric oxide production reduces indicators of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior in animal models. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to present an overview of the current literature on stress-evoked changes in the nitrergic system, particularly within neural tissue.
ISSN:1662-4548
1662-453X
1662-453X
DOI:10.3389/fnins.2015.00003