Transgenic overexpression of corticotropin releasing hormone provides partial protection against neurodegeneration in an in vivo model of acute excitotoxic stress.

Abstract Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is the central modulator of the mammalian hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, CRH affects other processes in the brain including learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, CRH has been shown to play a role in nerve cell survival under apoptotic conditions and to serve as an endogenous neuroprotectant in vitro . Employing mice overexpressing murine CRH in the CNS, we observed a differential response of CRH-overexpressing mice (CRH-COE hom -Nes) to acute excitotoxic stress induced by kainate compared with controls (CRH-COE con -Nes). Interestingly, CRH-overexpression reduced the duration of epileptic seizures and pre…