Lehnert H, Schulz C, Dieterich K
Dept. of Endocrinology and Metabolism University Hospital of Magdeburg, Germany.
Neurochem Res. 1998 Aug;23(8):1039-52. doi: 10.1023/a:1020751817723.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is both a major regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Besides, it exerts numerous effects on other physiological functions such as appetite control, motor and cognitive behavior and immune function. The basis for these effects is constituted by its distribution in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic brain areas, the latter being represented by limbic structures such as the central nucleus of the amygdala or by brain stem neurons such as the locus coeruleus (LC) or nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). The effects of CRF are mediated through recently described CRF-receptor subtypes, whose molecular biology, biochemistry and pharmacological regulation are discussed in detail. In the second part of this review, we will focus on the physiology of CRF-systems in the brain, with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular regulation, respiration, appetite control and stress-related behavior. Finally, the role of the locus coeruleus in the control of CRF-mediated behavioral activities is discussed. The interaction of noradrenergic and CRF-neurons clearly implies that CRF appears to directly activate LC neurons in a stressful situation, thus ultimately coordinating the bodily response to a stressful stimulus.
促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）既是下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺（HPA）轴的主要调节因子，也是自主神经系统活动的调节因子。此外，它对其他生理功能有诸多影响，如食欲控制、运动和认知行为以及免疫功能。这些影响的基础在于其在下丘脑和下丘脑外脑区的分布，后者以杏仁核中央核等边缘结构或蓝斑（LC）或孤束核（NTS）等脑干神经元为代表。CRF的作用是通过最近描述的CRF受体亚型介导的，本文将详细讨论其分子生物学、生物化学和药理调节。在本综述的第二部分，我们将重点关注大脑中CRF系统的生理学，特别强调心血管调节、呼吸、食欲控制和应激相关行为。最后，讨论了蓝斑在控制CRF介导的行为活动中的作用。去甲肾上腺素能神经元和CRF神经元的相互作用清楚地表明，在应激情况下，CRF似乎直接激活LC神经元，从而最终协调身体对应激刺激的反应。
