Molecular mechanisms in the regulation of adult neurogenesis during stress

Abstract

Coping with stress is fundamental for mental health, but understanding of the molecular neurobiology of stress is still in its infancy. Adult neurogenesis is well known to be regulated by stress, and conversely adult neurogenesis regulates stress responses. Recent studies in neurogenic cells indicate that molecular pathways activated by glucocorticoids, the main stress hormones, are modulated by crosstalk with other stress-relevant mechanisms, including inflammatory mediators, neurotrophic factors and morphogen signalling pathways. This Review discusses the pathways that are involved in this crosstalk and thus regulate this complex relationship between adult neurogenesis and stress.

Glucocorticoid-Potentiated Spinal Microglia Activation Contributes to Preoperative Anxiety-Induced Postoperative Hyperalgesia

“…Elevated GCs impair neurogenesis [42,51,52], accelerate cellular aging [53], and diminish neurotrophins [54,55] and are thus implicated in the pathogenesis of some neuropsychiatry disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression [56,57]. Moreover, GCs were shown to enhance pain-like behaviors [58].…”

Impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its partial reversal by chronic treatment of fluoxetine in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome

“…Finally, SVZ region of AS mice brain did not show any significant reduction of BrdU or Ki67- One of the most likely cause of impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis in AS mice brain is the stress. Stress has long been implicated to reduce adult hippocampal neurogenesis by activating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and subsequently increasing cortisol levels [19,24]. Acute and chronic treatment of corticosterone in mice also leads to decrease in neurogenesis [32].…”

Rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine correlates with astroglial plasticity in the hippocampus

“…The cellular modifications in this hippocampal subregion are important, as the microvasculature of the DG is a key contributor to adult hippocampal neurogenesis. There is experimental evidence indicating that angiogenesis and neurogenesis are modulated by the signalling of VEGF, one of the factors expressed by astrocytes in hippocampus, and the overexpression of VEGF induces angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus (Licht et al, 2011;Egeland et al, 2015). Accordingly, we noted that impairment of the morphology of astrocytes in the MDG subregion of the hippocampus inhibits VEGF signalling and this is one of the possible mechanisms underlying the impairment in neurogenesis and angiogenesis in depression.…”