Serum NPY and BNDF response to a behavioral stressor in alcohol-dependent and healthy control participants

Abstract

Rationale Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been implicated in both the stress response and alcohol addiction. However, few studies have assessed the NPY and BDNF response to stress in alcohol-dependent participants and the concurrent measure of NPY and BDNF has not been reported in human participants. Objective The purpose of this study was to concurrently assess serum NPYand BDNF, as well as adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol, in control and race- and aged-matched abstinent alcohol-dependent participants in response to a stress-inducing public-speaking task. Methods Basal and post-stress serum values of NPY and BDNF, as well as ACTH and cortisol, were assessed in 14 abstinent alcohol-dependent and ten healthy control male participants. Results Basal measures were stable over short periods of time and stress induced a significant increase in both NPY (p= 0.002) and BDNF (p=0.006) as well as ACTH (p<0.001) and cortisol (p<0.007). Alcohol-dependent and control groups did not significantly differ on any basal or stress-induced measure. Basal and delta responses of NPY and BDNF were not significantly correlated, and delta peak responses of NPY and BDNF did not correlate with one another or with their respective ACTH and cortisol responses. Conclusions These findings reveal that both serum NPY and BDNF are responsive to behavioral stressors, although their regulatory mechanisms appear to differ from one another and those of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Differences in basal and stress-induced responses of NPY and BDNF were not supported between control and abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects.

Acute psychosocial stress increases serum BDNF levels: an antagonistic relation to cortisol but no group differences after mental training

“…Consistent with our findings, increased serum BDNF levels after acute psychosocial stress have been found in a small sample of 14 alcohol dependent and 10 healthy male adults [25]. Likewise, acute physical exercise is a reliable trigger of serum BDNF release [22].…”

“…However, evidence for an effect of psychosocial stress is scarce and inconclusive. The few studies investigating levels of serum BDNF in response to psychosocial stress used varying stress inductions in small and selective samples and have produced conflicting results: While one study found increased serum BDNF levels following psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST [24]) [25], decreased serum BDNF levels were reported following a paradigm combining psychological and physical stressors [26].…”

Neuropeptide Y regulates proliferation and apoptosis in granulosa cells in a follicular stage-dependent manner

“…Moreover, whether the regulation of granulosa cell proliferation by NPY is follicular stagedependent is not known. In the present studies, we have demonstrated that NPY at physiological concentration (0.1 nM) [25,26] induces proliferation in granulosa cells from EA, but not LAF in vitro. Additionally, an antagonist of NPY5R blocked NPY-induced granulosa cell proliferation in EA, as also demonstrated in neuroblastoma [27] and breast cancer [28,29] cells.…”

Altered Serum Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Patients with Pathological Gambling

“…Recently, it has been reported that behavioural stress significantly increased serum levels of BDNF in healthy controls as well as in alcohol-dependent patients [41]. Furthermore, BDNF serum levels were reported to be increased in alcohol-dependent patients within the first 24 h of abstinence [27].…”