糖皮质激素与抑郁发病相关机制研究进展

Research progress in glucocorticoid and pathophysiology of depression

抑郁症是一种情感障碍性疾病,临床上以兴趣缺乏、情绪低落、睡眠障碍等为主要病症表现,部分患者常伴有自杀倾向。目前研究的抑郁发病机制主要有:单胺假说、神经营养再生假说、神经内分泌假说、表观遗传学假说。近年来的研究发现糖皮质激素和其受体在抑郁的发病机制中起着重要的作用。糖皮质激素是肾上腺分泌的一种激素,在长期应激的作用下,HPA轴持续激活,导致糖皮质激素的持续分泌,引起神经内分泌系统紊乱,在抑郁的发病机制中有重要意义。该文主要针对糖皮质激素及其受体对抑郁发病相关机制的研究进展进行综述。

Depression is a prevalent psychiatry disorder, mainly characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, abnormalities in sleep and high tendency for suicide. Current theories about pathophysiology of depression include monoamine hypothesis, neurotrophins and neuroregeneration, incorporate gene-environmental interactions, neuroendocrine and epigenetic forms of plasticity. In recent years, reseaches have demonstrated that glucocorticoid and its receptor play a vital role in the etiology of depression. Under prolonged stress conditions, glucocorticoid is highly secreted by adrenal causing hyperactivity of HPA axis and dysfunction of neuroendocrine, which has significant implication in the pathophysiology of depression. In this review, we discuss the current progress of glucocorticoid and its receptor related mechanisms of depression.