Department of Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Department of Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Neuroscience. 2019 Oct 1;417:1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.046. Epub 2019 Aug 7.
Clinical reports show that oxytocin (OT) is related to stress-related disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Two key structures in the brain should be paid special attention with regard to stress regulation, namely, the hypothalamus and the hippocampus. The former is the region for central command for most, if not all, of the major endocrine systems, and the latter takes a key position in the regulation of mood and anxiety. There are extensive neural projections between the two structures, and both are functionally intertwined. The hypothalamus projects OTergic neurons to the hippocampus, and the latter possesses high levels of OT receptors. The hippocampus also regulates the secretion of glucocorticoids, a major group of stress hormones. Excessive levels of glucocorticoids in chronic stress cause atrophy of the hippocampus, whereas OT has been shown to protect hippocampal neurons from the toxic effects of glucocorticoids. In this article, we discuss how neural and endocrine mechanisms interplay in stress regulation, with an emphasis on the role of OT, as well as its therapeutic potential in the treatment of stress-related disorders.
临床报告表明，催产素（OT）与应激相关障碍有关，如抑郁症、焦虑症和创伤后应激障碍。在大脑中，有两个关键结构需要特别注意，它们在应激调节方面发挥着重要作用，即下丘脑和海马体。前者是大多数（如果不是全部）主要内分泌系统的中央指挥区域，后者在调节情绪和焦虑方面占据关键位置。这两个结构之间有广泛的神经投射，并且在功能上相互交织。下丘脑将 OT 能神经元投射到海马体，而后者具有高水平的 OT 受体。海马体还调节糖皮质激素的分泌，糖皮质激素是一大类应激激素。慢性应激中糖皮质激素水平过高会导致海马体萎缩，而 OT 已被证明可以保护海马体神经元免受糖皮质激素的毒性影响。本文讨论了神经和内分泌机制在应激调节中的相互作用，重点介绍了 OT 的作用及其在治疗应激相关障碍方面的治疗潜力。
