Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zsolt Bagosi, Kira Megyesi, Jazmin Ayman, Hanna Rudersdorf, Maieda Khan Ayaz, Krisztina Csabafi
Summary: Since the discovery of CRF and CRF-related peptides, their involvement in various aspects of social behavior in rodents has been investigated. The CRF system consists of different ligands, receptors, and binding proteins, and plays a crucial role in neuroendocrine regulation and stress responses. The experiments reviewed in this study highlight the importance of CRF and the urocortins in social behavior, including sociability, social novelty preference, social recognition, discrimination, and memory, as well as the involvement of specific brain regions and pathways. However, differences in species, strains, and sexes make it challenging to translate these findings to humans.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Qiang Wu, Yan Feng, Ling Liu, Yang Liu, Xin Liu, Liqiao Zhang, Yanan Li, Liqun Wang
Summary: CRF plays a proinflammatory role in ischemic stroke by activating and transforming microglial cells through the TLR4/NF-kappa B signaling pathway, leading to aggravated neuronal injuries.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Josef G. Heuer, Catalina M. Meyer, Hana E. Baker, Andrea Geiser, Jonathan Lucchesi, Daniel Xu, Matthew Hamang, Jennifer A. Martin, Charlie Hu, Kenneth D. Roth, Kannan Thirunavukkarasu, Jorge Alsina-Fernandez, Yanfei L. Ma
Summary: This study presents the generation and characterization of a pegylated UCN1 peptide and investigations on the role of CRHR2 in UCN1-induced metabolic effects. The study demonstrates the potential of pegylated UCN1 in treating autoimmune diseases with reduced adverse effects compared to corticosterone treatment. Additionally, the study shows that CRHR2 plays an important role in countering the adverse metabolic effects of elevated corticosterone from UCN1.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ahmed Khattab, R. Will Charlton
Summary: Treatment with Tildacerfont in males can effectively reduce A4 levels, correct A4/T ratio and increase LH levels, indicating the potential of the drug to enhance testicular testosterone production. However, more data is needed to confirm its favorable impact on male reproductive health.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Md Rabiul Islam, Mohamed Teleb, Vlasios Karageorgos, Stelios Sakellaris, Minas Papadopoulos, Ioannis Pirmettis, Frank R. Fronczek, George Liapakis, Hesham Fahmy
Summary: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the main hormone involved in regulating the HPA axis and stress responses. Overactivation of the CRF system is associated with various disorders, including anxiety and depression. New molecules that can interfere with CRF receptor binding have potential as neuropsychiatric drugs for stress-related disorders. In this study, a new series of CRF1 receptor antagonists were synthesized and evaluated, with two compounds showing superior binding affinity compared to previous compounds. These lead compounds can be considered potent CRF receptor antagonists.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abdullahi Ibrahim Uba, Nicolas Scorese, Emily Dean, Haiguang Liu, Chun Wu
Summary: This study constructed a full-length homology model of CRF1R and conducted molecular dynamics simulations of its complexes with agonist and antagonist, revealing important conformational changes in TMD and key residues. The observed dynamic rearrangements and residue interactions provide insights for ligand design targeting CRF1R activation.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yuanli Cai, Zhigang Song
Summary: This study investigated the effects of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) on the feed intake of broiler chickens. The results showed that CRF at a dose of 10 μg suppressed feed intake and increased the expression of ghrelin in the hypothalamus and CRFR1 in the small intestine.
Article
Neurosciences
Yueqin Liu, Sitong Li, Xinxin Zhang, Laijian Wang, Ziming Li, Wei Wu, Xinya Qin, Jiangning Zhou, Chenchen Ma, Wei Meng, Xi Kuang, Fei Yin, Qianhui Xia, Bin Jiang, Yupeng Yang
Summary: Early adversity can lead to dysfunction of the visual system in adulthood, but female mice subjected to early chronic mild stress (ECMS) can maintain ocular dominance (OD) plasticity. The CRF-CRFR1 system within the primary visual cortex (V1) may mediate the long-term effect of early stress on visual plasticity and provide a target for the prevention of visual deficits in adults.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Angela E. Snyder, Yuval Silberman
Summary: Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance Use Disorder impact millions of individuals in the United States, and stress is a key trigger for relapse in patients. The brain region BNST plays a crucial role in drug-seeking behaviors and stress responses.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ines Vasconcelos, Rui Adao, Miriam T. Rademaker, Adelino F. Leite-Moreira, Ana Patricia Fontes-Sousa, Carmen Bras-Silva
Summary: The urocortins (Ucns) are peptides belonging to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family. Growing evidence suggests that Ucns have significant effects within the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, particularly in cardioprotection and cardiovascular actions. However, conflicting results have been reported regarding the alteration of plasma Ucn profiles in pathological conditions, and further validation is needed to accurately determine their concentrations and circulating values in cardiovascular diseases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ya Wang, Yajie Zhang, Zhaochun Shi, Tingting Di, Wenfeng Yu, Ling Chen
Summary: Exposure to PFOA in male mice enhances CRF expression in BLA neurons by increasing hepatic FGF21 synthesis, which then enhances CRF-R1 mediated presynaptic glutamate release to facilitate NMDAR-dependent BLA-LTP induction, leading to anxiety-like behaviors.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Isabella Maita, Troy A. A. Roepke, Benjamin A. A. Samuels
Summary: The sexually dimorphic bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays a crucial role in stress-induced changes in neural circuitry and behavior. Chronic exposure to stress affects the anterodorsal BNST in rodents, leading to alterations in the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-signaling pathway and behavior regulation. BNST is also implicated in anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, and may be associated with sex differences found in mood disorders.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francielle Garghetti Battiston, Cristiane dos Santos, Amanda Marreiro Barbosa, Sibele Sehnem, Ellen Cristina Rivas Leonel, Sebastiao Roberto Taboga, Janete A. Anselmo-Franci, Fernanda Barbosa Lima, Alex Rafacho
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Domitila A. Huber, Darlan Bazilio, Flaviano Lorenzon, Sibele Sehnem, Lucas Pacheco, Janete A. Anselmo-Franci, Fernanda B. Lima
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Stephen F. Smagula, Helmet T. Karim, Anusha Rangarajan, Fernando Pasquini Santos, Sossena C. Wood, Tales Santini, John M. Jakicic, Charles F. Reynolds, Judy L. Cameron, Abbe N. Vallejo, Meryl A. Butters, Caterina Rosano, Tamer S. Ibrahim, Kirk I. Erickson, Howard J. Aizenstein
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2018)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Karolina Domingues, Inae Spezia, Lais C. Theindl, Patrick R. Suman, Fernanda B. Lima, Cilene Lino de Oliveira
BEHAVIOURAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Flaviano Lorenzon, Bruna B. Simas, Tamires Gregorio, Janete A. Anselmo-Franci, Cilene Lino de Oliveira, Domitila A. Huber, Fernanda B. Lima
Article
Neurosciences
Karolina Domingues, Fernanda Barbosa Lima, Aurea Elizabeth Linder, Fernando Falkenburger Melleu, Anicleto Poli, Inae Spezia, Patrick Remus Suman, Lais Cristina Theindl, Cilene Lino de Oliveira
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Cynthia L. Bethea, Judy L. Cameron
Summary: In a cynomolgus macaque model of functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA), increased levels of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE), kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) are observed in anovulatory monkeys during stress, but can be normalized through administration of the NE reuptake inhibitor (NRI) reboxetine (REB). Daily administration of REB restored ovulation in stress-sensitive animals and reduced markers of stress in the hypothalamus, suggesting a potential novel treatment approach for FHA.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Elisa C. Cella, Julia Conte, Rafaela C. K. Stolte, Flaviano Lorenzo, Tamires Gregorio, Bruna B. Simas, Alex Rafacho, Fernanda B. Lima
Summary: Administration of dexamethasone (DEX) during late gestation can lead to behavioral changes in dams, impacting offspring survival. Adequate maternal care is crucial for pup's survival, and cross-fostering can improve the survival index of DEX offspring.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Judy L. Cameron, Karlie Brasch, Damara Strong, Barbara Paul, Erin Cavanaugh, Shreya Thakur, Mia N. Watson, Tyra Jennings, Sunil U. Nayak, Scott M. Rawls
Summary: School-based drug prevention programs aim to educate students about the physiological and addictive effects of drugs. Using nicotine-induced behaviors in planarians, this program successfully increased students' knowledge about nicotine, with a particularly significant impact on 6th grade students.
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Flaviano Lorenzon, Tamires Gregorio, Fernanda Niebisch, Rafaela C. K. Stolte, Gustavo J. dos Santos, Alex Rafacho, Fernanda B. Lima
Summary: Exposure to dexamethasone during pregnancy can disrupt glucose homeostasis in offspring, with older male offspring being more susceptible. Maternal vitamin D administration does not impact glucose tolerance, but can mitigate insulin resistance and liver lipid accumulation in male offspring.
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Robson Barth, Carolina Ruoso, Sandra Mara Ferreira, Francieli Caroline de Ramos, Fernanda Barbosa Lima, Antonio Carlos Boschero, Gustavo Jorge dos Santos
Summary: Research findings indicate that DEX-induced proliferation of pancreatic beta cells relies on HNF4 alpha, leading to the expansion of beta-cell mass. Therefore, HNF4 alpha may serve as a potential therapeutic target for diabetes treatment.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Tamires Gregorio, Flaviano Lorenzon, Fernanda Niebisch, Rafaela Carla Kachel Stolte, Alex Rafacho, Gustavo Jorge dos Santos, Cilene Lino de Oliveira, Fernanda Barbosa Lima
Summary: Overexposure to glucocorticoids during gestation can lead to long-term mental disorders, and this study investigates the effects of late gestational administration of dexamethasone and vitamin D on depressive-like behavior in adult female rats. The results show that prenatal vitamin D and dexamethasone can affect sucrose preference, and prenatal vitamin D has an antidepressant-like effect in rats overexposed to dexamethasone, although this effect is blunted at a later stage. The protein content of certain receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus is also affected by prenatal dexamethasone exposure. The study concludes that prenatal overexposure to dexamethasone can modify the effects of prenatal vitamin D on depressive behavior in a time-dependent manner, and these effects are not related to alterations in the serotonergic system or glucocorticoid receptor expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Tricia Shelton, Corinne Benatowicz, Pat Healy, Neal D. Ryan, Judy L. Cameron
Summary: Adolescence is a crucial period for developing decision-making skills, and schools provide an ideal environment for teaching and practicing these skills. However, finding time for this instruction can be challenging for educators. We have created a flexible curriculum that actively engages students and improves their decision-making skills. Students using this curriculum show evidence of enhanced decision-making abilities.
MIND BRAIN AND EDUCATION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Fernanda B. Lima, Cristiane M. Leite, Cynthia L. Bethea, Janete A. Anselmo-Franci
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rena A. S. Robinson, Ishan C. Williams, Judy L. Cameron, Keisha Ward, Melissa Knox, Melita Terry, Lisa Tamres, Uchenna Mbawuike, Marita Garrett, Jennifer H. Lingler
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA-TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS
(2020)