Department of Haematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Inflamm Res. 2011 Aug;60(8):715-21. doi: 10.1007/s00011-011-0329-2. Epub 2011 Apr 8.
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of neuropeptides is composed of CRF, urocortin 1 (UCN 1), UCN 2 and UCN 3, which can bind to CRF-binding protein (CRF-BP) and two known receptors, CRFR1 and CRFR2, to perform many pathophysiological functions, including inflammation. In contrast to its anti-inflammatory effect in the central nervous system, the roles of the CRF family and its receptors in the periphery are diverse. However, the biological activities of the CRF family in inflammation are circumstantial and remain controversial. It is suggested that this diverse effects of the CRF family may be due to the different types of CRF receptors, different cells and tissues and even different concentrations of CRF family peptides. Though there are difficulties or limitations in establishing the exact modulatory roles of the CRF family and its receptors in peripheral inflammation, the application of CRF receptor agonists or antagonists to treat inflammatory diseases is being pursued with increasing interest. This review describes the effects and mechanisms of the CRF family and its receptors in inflammation; the possible application of CRF receptor agonists or antagonists in inflammatory diseases or disorders will also be discussed.
促肾上腺皮质释放因子（CRF）家族的神经肽由 CRF、孤啡肽 1（UCN1）、UCN2 和 UCN3 组成，它们可以与 CRF 结合蛋白（CRF-BP）和两种已知的受体 CRFR1 和 CRFR2 结合，从而发挥许多生理病理功能，包括炎症。与 CRF 家族在中枢神经系统中的抗炎作用相反，其在外周的作用是多样化的。然而，CRF 家族在炎症中的生物学活性是偶然的，仍然存在争议。据推测，CRF 家族的这种多样化作用可能是由于不同类型的 CRF 受体、不同的细胞和组织，甚至 CRF 家族肽的不同浓度所致。尽管在确定 CRF 家族及其受体在外周炎症中的确切调节作用方面存在困难或限制，但人们越来越有兴趣应用 CRF 受体激动剂或拮抗剂来治疗炎症性疾病。本综述描述了 CRF 家族及其受体在炎症中的作用和机制；还将讨论 CRF 受体激动剂或拮抗剂在炎症性疾病或紊乱中的可能应用。
