Patterns of ACTH Secretagog Secretion in Response to Psychological Stimuli

Lm, Romero; Rm, Sapolsky

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2826.1996.04441.x

Cited by 72 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 142 publications

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“…; see Ref. 37). All stressors used in this study effectively elicited a CORT response after 30 min with a clear demonstration of graded stress responses, dependent on the potency of the stressor, as seen in other species (21).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Exposure to chronic stress downregulates corticosterone responses to acute stressors

Rich

Romero

2005

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

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363

285

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(Sturnus vulgaris) to test whether corticosterone responses differed in birds held under normal laboratory conditions or conditions of chronic stress. Surprisingly, both basal corticosterone concentrations and corticosterone responses to acute stress were significantly reduced when birds were chronically stressed. To determine the mechanism underlying this reduced response, animals under both conditions were injected with lactated Ringer's solution (control), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), arginine vasotocin (AVT), or dexamethasone (DEX). ACTH increased corticosterone concentrations above stress-induced levels in both cases, although maximum responses were lower in chronically stressed birds. AVT did not augment the corticosterone response under nonchronically stressed conditions, but it did under chronically stressed conditions. DEX reduced maximal corticosterone concentrations in both cases. Neither ovine nor rat corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) altered normal stress responses. These data indicate that changes in responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to ACTH and AVT serve to downregulate corticosterone responses during chronic stress. Furthermore, these data lead to the following hypothesis: ACTH output from the pituitary limits maximum corticosterone concentrations under normal conditions, but reduced AVT release from the hypothalamus regulates lower corticosterone concentrations under chronic stress conditions. environmental stress; negative feedback; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; conservation GLUCOCORTICOIDS ARE STEROID hormones released from adrenal tissue in response to stressful stimuli. Upon perception of stress, the avian hypothalamus is activated to secrete arginine vasotocin (AVT, a congener of the mammalian arginine vasopressin) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which stimulate the pituitary to release adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), in turn, causing the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenals (7,8). This pathway constitutes the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis, and its activation is one component of the physiological stress response. This response is believed to be aimed at maintaining or restoring homeostasis, thereby helping the animal to survive a stressful episode (45, 50). The primary avian glucocorticoid is corticosterone (CORT) (22).The presumed benefits of an acute activation of the HPA axis contrast with chronic activation. Various deleterious effects of chronic CORT elevation have been documented in many species, including suppression of reproductive function and behavior, immune system suppression, muscle wasting, growth suppression, and neuronal cell death (45, 49). Chronic stress generally produces chronic elevations in baseline CORT concentrations. However, studies of chronically stressed rats indicate that facilitation of the HPA axis takes place to maintain responsiveness to acute stressors (11,13,25), perhaps by increasing the role of vasopressin over CRF in the release of ACTH (1, 16, 17). Therefore, animals must avoid chronic stress ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Exposure to chronic stress downregulates corticosterone responses to acute stressors

Rich

Romero

2005

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

Self Cite

363

285

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“…Furthermore, the study of the neuropeptides arginin-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) may be of interest. Both neuropeptides are involved in the regulation of the HPA response in reaction to stress, and psychological stress in particular (Romero and Sapolsky, 1996). AVP stimulates the HPA response, while OT is thought to inhibit the HPA response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differentiation between Autism and Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder in Response to Psychosocial Stress

Jansen

Wied

Gaag

et al. 2002

Neuropsychopharmacol

100

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Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder (MCDD) represents a distinct group within the autistic spectrum based on symptomatology. Unlike autistic children, part of MCDD children develop schizophrenia in adult life. Despite the differences, patients of both disorders are mainly characterized by abnormal reactions to their social environment. At the biological level, we showed in a previous study that MCDD children have a reduced cortisol response to psychosocial stress. Given the fact that autistic children clinically show more social impairments, it was hypothesized that they may have even further decreased cortisol responses to psychosocial stress than MCDD patients. Therefore, 10 autistic children were compared to 10 MCDD children and 12 healthy control children in their response to a psychosocial stressor, consisting of a public speaking task. In order to test whether any impairments in the biological stress response are specific for psychosocial stress, the autistic children were compared with 11 MCDD children and 15 control children in their response to a physical stressor, consisting of 10 min of bicycle exercise. Heart rate and salivary cortisol levels were used as indicators of response to the stress tests. Autistic children showed a relatively elevated cortisol response to psychosocial stress, in contrast to MCDD children who showed a reduced cortisol response. No differences in heart rate or cortisol responses to the physical stress test were found. The specific difference between autistic and MCDD children in their cortisol response to psychosocial stress indicates that the disturbed reactions to the social environment observed in these disorders may have different biological backgrounds.

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“…These findings suggest that HPA stress responses may be abnormal in schizophrenic patients. The HPA stress response is dependent on the type of stressor that is used (32). The physical stimuli activate the HPA-axis responses mostly via corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and the psychological stimuli mostly via AVP.…”

Section: Avp and Psychiatric Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

New Topics in Vasopressin Receptors and Approach to Novel Drugs: Role of the Vasopressin Receptor in Psychological and Cognitive Functions

et al. 2009

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Abstract. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neurohypophyseal peptide best known as an antidiuretic hormone. AVP receptors have been classified into three subtypes: V1a, V1b, and V2 receptors. V1a receptor (V1aR) and V1b receptor (V1bR) are widely distributed in the central nervous system, including the septum, cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Clinical studies have demonstrated an involvement of AVP in psychiatric disorders. In the present study, we examined the performance of V1aR or V1bR knockout (KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice in behavioral tests. V1aR and V1bR KO mice exhibited deficits of social behavior and prepulse inhibition in comparison to WT mice. Moreover, V1aR KO mice exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior and impairment of spatial learning. These results suggest that V1aR and V1bR play an important role in psychological and cognitive functions.

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Patterns of ACTH Secretagog Secretion in Response to Psychological Stimuli

Cited by 72 publications

References 142 publications

Exposure to chronic stress downregulates corticosterone responses to acute stressors

Exposure to chronic stress downregulates corticosterone responses to acute stressors

Differentiation between Autism and Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder in Response to Psychosocial Stress

New Topics in Vasopressin Receptors and Approach to Novel Drugs: Role of the Vasopressin Receptor in Psychological and Cognitive Functions

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