0000000000429632
AUTHOR
Dirk H. Hellhammer
Extrapituitary Effects of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone and Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone
Besides their regulation of the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-thyroidal axis, respectively, the neurohormones CRH and TRH act within the central nervous system to evoke and modulate a number of behavioral and physiological processes. In particular, an increase in the sympathetic nervous system and respiratory activity has been observed. The data communicated in this review article emphasize the role of these neurohormones with regard to the neuroendocrine regulation of the autonomic nervous system, sleep and cognitive performance. Moreover, a possible therapeutic role is suggested by the beneficial effects in patients at risk of hypoventilation-associated disorders.
Pavlovian conditioning of corticotropin-releasing factor-induced increase of blood pressure and corticosterone secretion in the rat
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is clearly involved in the central regulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis and, moreover, of autonomic nervous system functions. Enhanced sympathetic activity with subsequent increases in blood pressure and heart rate and attenuation of the baroreceptor reflex results from the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of CRF. Additionally, the peptide has a variety of potent effects on behavioural responses in animals similar to those observed after an experimentally evoked stress. It was therefore of obvious interest to examine whether CRF is a possible mediator of the learning processes associated with physiological stress reaction patterns. Thi…
Effects of L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan on the cardiovascular and endocrine system in humans
Brain catecholamine and serotonin neurons are intimately involved in a number of relevant physiological functions such as cardiovascular regulation, neuroendocrine output from the anterior pituitary (e.g. ACTH, prolactin), regulation of behavior (e.g. aggression, sleep, locomotor and sexual behavior), mood or appetite control [1–5]. The modification of transmitter synthesis and release appears to be remarkably correlated with the subsequent physiological changes observed. While there are numerous pharmacological approaches that affect the respective neurotransmitter products (i.e. the catecholamines dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline and the indoleamine serotonin), one particular attrac…
Effects of Fasting and Glucose Load on Free Cortisol Responses to Stress and Nicotine1
The availability of energy appears to exert important regulatory functions in pituitary-adrenal stress responses. In two studies, the effects of short-term fasting and subsequent glucose administration on the free cortisol response to psychological stress and nicotine consumption were investigated. Study 1: After fasting for 8-11 h, healthy young men ingested either 100 g glucose (n = 13) or water (n = 12). One hour later they were exposed to a psychosocial stress task (Trier Social Stress Test). A third group also ingested 100 g glucose, but they were not exposed to any additional treatment (n = 10). Capillary blood glucose levels were in the lower euglycemic range before and significantly…
Prenatal adversity: a risk factor in borderline personality disorder?
BackgroundPatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show a high prevalence of early adversity, such as childhood trauma. It has also been reported that prenatal adverse conditions, such as prenatal maternal stress, drug taking, tobacco smoking or medical complications, may be associated with an increased risk of mental disorders in the offspring. Prenatal adversity is investigated here for the first time as a potential risk factor in the diagnosis of BPD.MethodA total of 100 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BPD and 100 matched healthy controls underwent semi-structured interviews about the course of pregnancy, maternal stressors, birth complications and childhood trauma. Furthe…
Glucose but Not Protein or Fat Load Amplifies the Cortisol Response to Psychosocial Stress
We previously reported that glucose intake amplifies cortisol response to psychosocial stress and smoking in healthy young men, while low blood glucose levels prevented the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. However, it remains unknown whether this modulation is specific for glucose load or a more common effect of energy availability. To elucidate this question, 37 healthy men, who fasted for at least 8 h before the experiment, were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, who received glucose (n = 8), protein (n = 10), fat (n = 10), and water (n = 9), one h before their exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Blood glucose levels were…