Tsatsanis C, Dermitzaki E, Venihaki M, Chatzaki E, Minas V, Gravanis A, Margioris A N
Department of Clinical Chemistry-Biochemistry, University of Crete School of Medicine, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2007 Jul;64(13):1638-55. doi: 10.1007/s00018-007-6555-7.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), also termed corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) or corticoliberin, is the major regulator of the adaptive response to internal or external stresses. An essential component of the adaptation mechanism is the adrenal gland. CRF regulates adrenal function indirectly through the central nervous system (CNS) via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and via the autonomic nervous system by way of locus coeruleus (LC) in the brain stem. Accumulating evidence suggests that CRF and its related peptides also affect the adrenals directly, i.e. not through the CNS but from within the adrenal gland where they form paracrine regulatory loops. Indeed, CRF and its related peptides, the urocortins (UCNs: UCN1, UCN2 and UCN3), their receptors CRF type 1 (CRF(1)) and 2 (CRF(2)) as well as the endogenous pseudo-receptor CRF-binding protein (CRF-BP) are all expressed in adrenal cortical, medullary chromaffin and resident immune cells. The intra-adrenal CRF-based regulatory system is complex and depends on the balance between the local concentration of CRF ligands and the availability of their receptors.
促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF），也被称为促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）或促肾上腺皮质素释放素，是对内部或外部应激适应性反应的主要调节因子。适应机制的一个重要组成部分是肾上腺。CRF通过下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴间接调节肾上腺功能，经中枢神经系统（CNS）起作用，并通过脑干中的蓝斑（LC）经自主神经系统起作用。越来越多的证据表明，CRF及其相关肽也直接影响肾上腺，即不是通过中枢神经系统，而是在肾上腺内部形成旁分泌调节环路。事实上，CRF及其相关肽、尿皮质素（UCNs：UCN1、UCN2和UCN3）、它们的受体1型促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子受体（CRF(1)）和2型促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子受体（CRF(2)）以及内源性假受体促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子结合蛋白（CRF-BP）均在肾上腺皮质、髓质嗜铬细胞和驻留免疫细胞中表达。肾上腺内基于CRF的调节系统很复杂，取决于CRF配体的局部浓度与其受体可用性之间的平衡。
