Effects of corticotropin releasing factor on dendritic development of hippocampal neurons / 国际药学研究杂志

ABSTRACT

Stress exerts profound effects on cognitive and emotional functions. As a regulator of response to stress, the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) during stress impacts organism function through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Recent research has shown that dendritic branches were abnormal and dendritic spine was lost under stress. In contrast, stressed mice with CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) deficiency or CRFR1 antagonist exhibited normal dendritic morphology of hippocampal neurons. The structure and related factors expression of hippocampal neurons were affected by CRFR1 as a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), but the molecular mechanism about CRF-induced direct injury effect on hippocampal neurons has been poorly understood. The paper reviews the research progress on the contribution of stress activated CRF-CRF receptor signaling to the structure and related factors of hippocampal neurons.