The bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) is a limbic region in the extended amygdala that is heavily implicated in anxiety processing and hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary (HPA) axis activation. The BST is complex, with many nuclei expressing different neurotransmitters and receptors involved in a variety of signaling pathways. One neurotransmitter that helps link its functions is corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). BST CRH neuron activation may cause both anxiogenic and anxiolytic effects in rodents, and CRH neurons interact with other neuron types to influence anxiety-like responses as well as alcohol and drug-seeking behavior. This review covers the link between BST CRH neurons and thirteen other neurotransmitters and receptors and analyzes their effect on rodent behavior. Additionally, it covers the translational potential of targeting CRH signaling pathways for the treatment of human mental health disorders. Given the massive impact of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders on our society, further research into BST CRH signaling is critical to alleviate the social and economic burdens of those disorders.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.642379 | DOI Listing |
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Sex differences in androgen receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, and c-Fos co-expression with corticotropin releasing factor expressing neurons in restrained adult mice.
Horm Behav
November 2023
Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America. Electronic address:
Gonadal hormone actions through androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) regulate sex differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity and stress-related behaviors. Here we tested whether corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) expressing neurons, which are widely known to regulate neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses, co-express AR and ERα as a potential mechanism for gonadal hormone regulation of these responses. Using Crh-IRES-Cre::Ai9 reporter mice we report high co-localization of AR in CRF neurons within the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), medial amygdala (MeA), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), moderate levels within the central amygdala (CeA) and low levels in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex differences in pain-induced modulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the dorsolateral part of the stria terminalis in mice.
Brain Res
December 2021
Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan. Electronic address:
We earlier reported female-biased, sex-specific involvement of the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dl BST) in the formalin-induced pain response in rats. The present study investigated pain effects on mice behaviors. Because the dl BST is densely populated with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons, we examined sex differences in these parameters for the dl BST CRH neurons in male and female mice of a mouse line for which the CRH gene promoter (corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]-Venus ΔNeo) controls the expression of the modified yellow fluorescent protein (Venus).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCorticotropin Releasing Hormone Signaling in the Bed Nuclei of the Stria Terminalis as a Link to Maladaptive Behaviors.
Front Neurosci
March 2021
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.
The bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) is a limbic region in the extended amygdala that is heavily implicated in anxiety processing and hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary (HPA) axis activation. The BST is complex, with many nuclei expressing different neurotransmitters and receptors involved in a variety of signaling pathways. One neurotransmitter that helps link its functions is corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe central amygdala (CeA) is important for fear responses to discrete cues. Recent findings indicate that the CeA also contributes to states of sustained apprehension that characterize anxiety, although little is known about the neural circuitry involved. The stress neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is anxiogenic and is produced by subpopulations of neurons in the lateral CeA and the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dlBST).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParaventricular hypothalamic and amygdalar CRF neurons synapse in the external globus pallidus.
Brain Struct Funct
July 2018
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Stress evokes directed movement to escape or hide from potential danger. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons are highly activated by stress; however, it remains unclear how this activity participates in stress-evoked movement. The external globus pallidus (GPe) expresses high levels of the primary receptor for CRF, CRFR1, suggesting the GPe may serve as an entry point for stress-relevant information to reach basal ganglia circuits, which ultimately gate motor output.
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