Smith Sean M, Vale Wylie W
Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2006;8(4):383-95. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/ssmith.
Animals respond to stress by activating a wide array of behavioral and physiological responses that are collectively referred to as the stress response. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a central role in the stress response by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In response to stress, CRF initiates a cascade of events that culminate in the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex. As a result of the great number of physiological and behavioral effects exerted by glucocorticoids, several mechanisms have evolved to control HPA axis activation and integrate the stress response. Glucocorticoid feedback inhibition plays a prominent role in regulating the magnitude and duration of glucocorticoid release. In addition to glucocorticoid feedback, the HPA axis is regulated at the level of the hypothalamus by a diverse group of afferent projections from limbic, midbrain, and brain stem nuclei. The stress response is also mediated in part by brain stem noradrenergic neurons, sympathetic andrenomedullary circuits, and parasympathetic systems. In summary, the aim of this review is to discuss the role of the HPA axis in the integration of adaptive responses to stress. We also identify and briefly describe the major neuronal and endocrine systems that contribute to the regulation of the HPA axis and the maintenance of homeostasis in the face of aversive stimuli.
动物通过激活一系列行为和生理反应来应对压力，这些反应统称为应激反应。促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）通过调节下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴在应激反应中起核心作用。在应激状态下，CRF引发一系列事件，最终导致肾上腺皮质释放糖皮质激素。由于糖皮质激素具有大量的生理和行为效应，已进化出多种机制来控制HPA轴的激活并整合应激反应。糖皮质激素反馈抑制在调节糖皮质激素释放的幅度和持续时间方面起着重要作用。除了糖皮质激素反馈外，HPA轴在下丘脑水平还受到来自边缘系统、中脑和脑干核团的多种传入投射的调节。应激反应还部分由脑干去甲肾上腺素能神经元、交感肾上腺髓质回路和副交感神经系统介导。总之，本综述的目的是讨论HPA轴在整合对应激的适应性反应中的作用。我们还识别并简要描述了在面对厌恶刺激时有助于调节HPA轴和维持体内平衡的主要神经和内分泌系统。
