■ REVIEW : Corticotropin-releasing Factor, Stress, and Depression

摘要: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a 41 amino acid-containing neuropeptide, acts both as hypothalamic releasing factor, controlling ACTH and corticosteroid secretion, at extrahypothalamic CNS sites to mod ulate mammalian organisms' responses stress. In this article, the evidence that CRF-containing neurons within are hyperactive in patients with depression is reviewed. The evidence, taken together, suggests during depressive episodes, CRF hypersecreted, resulting pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity certain of signs symptoms depression, including decreased appetite, libido disturbed sleep. There also treatments for antidepressant medications electroconvulsive therapy, reduce hypersecretion CNS. Finally, alterations receptors responsible widely held ob servation early untoward life events increase an individual's vul...