Kupcova Ida, Danisovic Lubos, Grgac Ivan, Harsanyi Stefan
Institute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2022 Jul 29;12(8):262. doi: 10.3390/bs12080262.
In modern society, there has been a rising trend of depression and anxiety. This trend heavily impacts the population's mental health and thus contributes significantly to morbidity and, in the worst case, to suicides. Modern medicine, with many antidepressants and anxiolytics at hand, is still unable to achieve remission in many patients. The pathophysiology of depression and anxiety is still only marginally understood, which encouraged researchers to focus on neuropeptides, as they are a vast group of signaling molecules in the nervous system. Neuropeptides are involved in the regulation of many physiological functions. Some act as neuromodulators and are often co-released with neurotransmitters that allow for reciprocal communication between the brain and the body. Most studied in the past were the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of oxytocin, vasopressin or neuropeptide Y and S, or Substance P. However, in recent years, more and more novel neuropeptides have been added to the list, with implications for the research and development of new targets, diagnostic elements, and even therapies to treat anxiety and depressive disorders. In this review, we take a close look at all currently studied neuropeptides, their related pathways, their roles in stress adaptation, and the etiology of anxiety and depression in humans and animal models. We will focus on the latest research and information regarding these associated neuropeptides and thus picture their potential uses in the future.
在现代社会，抑郁症和焦虑症呈上升趋势。这一趋势严重影响了人们的心理健康，进而对发病率产生重大影响，在最糟糕的情况下，还会导致自杀。现代医学虽然有许多抗抑郁药和抗焦虑药，但仍无法使许多患者实现症状缓解。抑郁症和焦虑症的病理生理学仍未得到充分理解，这促使研究人员将重点放在神经肽上，因为它们是神经系统中一类庞大的信号分子。神经肽参与多种生理功能的调节。一些神经肽充当神经调质，常与神经递质共同释放，从而实现大脑与身体之间的相互交流。过去研究最多的是催产素、血管加压素、神经肽Y和S或P物质的抗抑郁和抗焦虑作用。然而，近年来，越来越多的新型神经肽被纳入研究范围，这对新靶点、诊断要素乃至治疗焦虑症和抑郁症的疗法的研发都具有重要意义。在这篇综述中，我们将仔细研究目前所有已被研究的神经肽、它们相关的信号通路、它们在应激适应中的作用，以及在人类和动物模型中焦虑症和抑郁症的病因。我们将聚焦于这些相关神经肽的最新研究和信息，从而描绘出它们在未来的潜在用途。
