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{{short description|Set of physiological feedback interactions}}
{{mergefrom|Pituitary-adrenal axis}}
]; ACTH, ])]]
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The '''hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis''' ('''HPA axis''' or '''HTPA axis''') is a complex set of direct influences and ] interactions among three components: the ] (a part of the ] located below the ]), the ] (a pea-shaped structure located below the hypothalamus), and the ] (also called "suprarenal") ] (small, ] organs on top of the ]). These ] and their interactions constitute the ].


The HPA axis is a major ]<ref name="NHM-Neuroendocrine systems">{{cite book | vauthors = Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE | editor = Sydor A, Brown RY | title = Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience | year = 2009 | publisher = McGraw-Hill Medical | location = New York | isbn = 9780071481274 | pages = 246, 248–259 | edition = 2nd | chapter = Chapter 10: Neural and Neuroendocrine Control of the Internal Milieu | quote = <br />•The hypothalamic–neurohypophyseal system secretes two peptide hormones directly into the blood, vasopressin and oxytocin.&nbsp;...<br />•The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. It comprises corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), released by the hypothalamus; adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), released by the anterior pituitary; and glucocorticoids, released by the adrenal cortex.<br />•The hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis consists of hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH); the anterior pituitary hormone thyroid–stimulating hormone (TSH); and the thyroid hormones T<sub>3</sub> and T<sub>4</sub>.<br />•The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis comprises hypothalamic gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH), the anterior pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and the gonadal steroids.}}</ref> that controls reactions to ] and regulates many body processes, including ], ]s, ] and ]s, ], and energy storage and expenditure. It is the common mechanism for interactions among ]s, ]s, and parts of the ] that mediate the ] (GAS).<ref>{{cite book |last=Selye |first=Hans |title=Stress without distress |year=1974 |publisher=Lippincott |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-0-397-01026-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/stresswithoutdis00sely}}{{page needed|date=April 2014}}</ref>
The '''hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis''' ('''HPA axis''') is a major part of the ] that controls reactions to ] and has important functions in regulating various body processes such as ], the ] and energy usage. Species from humans to the most ancient organisms share components of the HPA axis. It is the mechanism for a set of interactions among glands, hormones and parts of the mid-brain that mediate a ].


While ] ]s are produced mainly in ]s, the ] role of the HPA axis and ]s in stress response is so fundamental that ] systems can be found in ]s and ] organisms as well.
== Anatomy ==
The key elements of the HPA axis are:
* The ] of the ], which contains ] neurons that synthesise and secrete ] and ] (CRH). These two ] regulate
* The anterior lobe of the ]. In particular, CRH and vasopressin stimulate the secretion of ] (ACTH). ACTH in turn acts on
* the ], which produces ] hormones (mainly ] in humans)response to stimulation by ACTH. Glucocorticoids in turn act back at the hypothalamus and pituitary (negative feedback).


The HPA axis, ], ], and the ] are the four major ] systems through which the ] and ] direct ] function.<ref name="NHM-Neuroendocrine systems" />
CRH and vasopressin are released from neurosecretory nerve terminals at the ]. They are transported to the anterior pituitary through the portal blood vessel system of the hypophyseal stalk. There, CRH and vasopressin act synergistically to stimulate the secretion of stored ACTH from corticotrope cells. ACTH is transported by the ] to the ] of the ], where it rapidly stimulates biosynthesis of ]s from ]. Cortisol has effects on many tissues in the body, including on the brain. In the brain, cortisol acts at two types of receptor - ] and ], and these are expressed by many different types of neuron. One important target of glucocorticoids is the ], which is a major controlling centre of the HPA axis.


== Function == ==Anatomy==
The key elements of the HPA axis are:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-05-18 |title=Getting to know the HPA axis |url=https://www.nrdc.org/bio/kristi-pullen-fedinick/getting-know-hpa-axis |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=www.nrdc.org |language=en |archive-date=2023-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810072553/https://www.nrdc.org/bio/kristi-pullen-fedinick/getting-know-hpa-axis |url-status=live }}</ref>
Release of CRH from the hypothalamus is influenced by ], by blood levels of cortisol and by the ]. In healthy individuals, cortisol
* The ] of the ]: It contains ] ]s which synthesize and secrete ] and ] (CRH).
rises rapidly after wakening, reaching a peak within 30-45 minutes. It then gradually
* The ] of the ]: CRH and vasopressin stimulate the anterior lobe of pituitary gland to secrete ] (ACTH), once known as ].
reduces over the day, rising again in late afternoon. Cortisol levels then fall in late
* The ]: It produces ] hormones (mainly ] in humans) in response to stimulation by ACTH. Glucocorticoids in turn, act back on the hypothalamus and pituitary (to suppress CRH and ACTH production) in a ] cycle.
evening, reaching a trough during the middle of the night. An abnormally flattened
circadian cortisol cycle has been linked with ] (MacHale, 1998),
] (Backhaus, 2004) and ] (Pruessner, 1999).


] and ] are released from ] nerve terminals at the ]. CRH is transported to the anterior pituitary through the ] of the ] and vasopressin is transported by ]al transport to the ]. There, CRH and vasopressin act synergistically to stimulate the secretion of stored ACTH from corticotrope cells. ACTH is transported by the ] to the ] of the ], where it rapidly stimulates the biosynthesis of ]s such as ] from ]. Cortisol is a major stress hormone and has effects on many tissues in the body, including the brain. In the brain, cortisol acts on two types of receptors: ]s and ] receptors, and these are expressed by many different types of neurons. One important target of glucocorticoids is the ], which is a major controlling centre of the HPA axis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tasker |first1=Jeffrey G. |last2=Herman |first2=James P. |date=14 July 2011 |title=Mechanisms of rapid glucocorticoid feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis |journal=Stress |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=398–406 |doi=10.3109/10253890.2011.586446 |pmid=21663538 |pmc=4675656 }}</ref>
Anatomical connections between ], ], and hypothalamus facilitate activation of the HPA axis. Sensory information arriving at the lateral aspect of the ] is processed and conveyed to the central nucleus, which projects to several parts of the brain involved in responses to fear. At the hypothalamus, fear-signaling impulses activate both the ] and the modulating systems of the HPA axis.


Vasopressin can be thought of as "water conservation hormone" and is also known as "] hormone(ADH)". It is released when the body is ] and has potent water-conserving effects on the kidney. It is also a potent ].<ref>{{Citation|last1=Cuzzo|first1=Brian|title=Vasopressin (Antidiuretic Hormone, ADH)|date=2019|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526069/|work=StatPearls|publisher=StatPearls Publishing|pmid=30252325|access-date=2019-10-19|last2=Lappin|first2=Sarah L.|archive-date=2021-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325180413/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526069/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Increased production of cortisol mediates alarm reactions to stress, facilitating an adaptive phase of a general adaptation syndrome in which alarm reactions are suppressed, allowing the body to attempt countermeasures.


Important to the function of the HPA axis are some of the following feedback loops:
Glucocorticoids have many important functions, including modulation of stress reactions but in excess they can be damaging. ] of the hippocampus in humans and animals exposed to severe stress is believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to high concentrations of ]s. Deficiencies of the ] may reduce the memory resources available to help a body formulate appropriate reactions to stress.
* ] produced in the adrenal cortex will negatively feedback to inhibit both the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. This reduces the ] of CRH and vasopressin, and also directly reduces the cleavage of ] (POMC) into ACTH and β-endorphins.
* ] and ] (E/NE) are produced by the ] through ] stimulation and the local effects of cortisol (upregulation enzymes to make E/NE). E/NE will positively feedback to the pituitary and increase the breakdown of POMCs into ACTH and β-endorphins.


==Function==
The HPA axis is involved in the neurobiology of ]s and functional illnesses, including ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
Release of ] (CRH) from the hypothalamus is influenced by ], physical activity, illness, by blood levels of cortisol and by the sleep/wake cycle (]). In healthy individuals, cortisol rises rapidly after wakening, reaching a peak within 30–45 minutes. It then gradually falls over the day, rising again in late afternoon. Cortisol levels then fall in late evening, reaching a trough during the middle of the night. This corresponds to the rest-activity cycle of the organism.<ref name="isbn_9780444530400"/> An abnormally flattened circadian cortisol cycle has been linked with ],<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=MacHale SM, Cavanagh JT, Bennie J, Carroll S, Goodwin GM, Lawrie SM |title=Diurnal variation of adrenocortical activity in chronic fatigue syndrome |journal=Neuropsychobiology |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=213–7 |date=November 1998 |pmid=9813459 |doi=10.1159/000026543|s2cid=46856991 }}</ref> ]<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Backhaus J, Junghanns K, Hohagen F |title=Sleep disturbances are correlated with decreased morning awakening salivary cortisol |journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology |volume=29 |issue=9 |pages=1184–91 |date=October 2004 |pmid=15219642 |doi=10.1016/j.psyneuen.2004.01.010|s2cid=14756991 }}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pruessner JC, Hellhammer DH, Kirschbaum C |title=Burnout, perceived stress, and cortisol responses to awakening |journal=Psychosom Med |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=197–204 |year=1999 |pmid=10204973 |url=http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10204973 |doi=10.1097/00006842-199903000-00012}}</ref>


The HPA axis has a central role in regulating many ] in the body, including the ], ], ], ] and ]. The HPA axis integrates physical and ] influences in order to allow an organism to adapt effectively to its environment, use resources, and optimize survival.<ref name="isbn_9780444530400">{{cite book | editor-last=del Rey | editor-first=A. | editor-last2=Chrousos | editor-first2=G. P. | editor-last3=Besedovsky | editor-first3=H. O. | others=Berczi, I.; Szentivanyi A., series ] | title=The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis | publisher=Elsevier Science | publication-place=Amsterdam London | series=NeuroImmune Biology | volume=7 | year=2008 | isbn=978-0-08-055936-0 | oclc=272388790 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJSYf879en4C | access-date=27 February 2022 | page= | archive-date=10 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810072626/https://books.google.com/books?id=nJSYf879en4C | url-status=live }}</ref>
==Research==


Anatomical connections between brain areas such as the ], ], ] and hypothalamus facilitate activation of the HPA axis.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Discovering behavioral neuroscience : an introduction to biological psychology|last=Laura|first=Freberg|others=Freberg, Laura,, Container of (work): Freberg, Laura.|isbn=9781305088702|edition= Third|location=Boston, MA|pages=504|oclc=905734838|date = 2015-01-01}}</ref> Sensory information arriving at the lateral aspect of the ] is processed and conveyed to the amygdala's ], which then projects out to several parts of the brain involved in responses to fear. At the hypothalamus, fear-signaling impulses activate both the ] and the modulating systems of the HPA axis.
Experimental studies have investigated many different types of stress, and their effects on the HPA axis in many different circumstances. <ref>{{cite journal | author=Douglas A | title=Central noradrenergic mechanisms underlying acute stress responses of the Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis: adaptations through pregnancy and lactation. | journal=Stress | volume=8 | issue=1 | pages=5-18 | year=2005 | id=PMID 16019594}}</ref>Stressors can be of many different types - in experimental studies in rats, a distinction is often made between "social stress" and "physical stress", but both types activate the HPA axis, though via different pathways.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Engelmann M, Landgraf R, Wotjak C | title=The hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis under stress: an old concept revisited. | journal=Front Neuroendocrinol | volume=25 | issue=3-4 | pages=132-49 | id=PMID 15589266}} </ref>Several ] neurotransmitters are important in regulating the HPA axis, especially ], ] and ] (noradrenaline).


Increased production of cortisol during stress results in an increased availability of ] in order to facilitate ]. As well as directly increasing glucose availability, cortisol also suppresses the highly demanding metabolic processes of the ], resulting in further availability of glucose.<ref name="isbn_9780444530400"/>
The HPA axis is a feature of other vertebrates as well as of mammals. For example, biologists studying stress in fish showed that ] leads to chronic stress, related to reduced ] ]ions, to ] and to the constant ] imposed by ] fish. Serotonin (5HT) appeared to be the active neurotransmitter involved in mediating stress responses, and increases in serotonin are related to increased ] ] levels, which causes skin darkening (a social signal in ]oid fish), activation of the HPA axis, and inhibition of aggression. Inclusion of the ] ], a precursor of 5HT, in the feed of ] made the trout less aggressive and less responsive to stress <ref>({{cite journal | author=Winberg S, Øverli Ø, Lepage O | title=Suppression of aggression in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by dietary L-tryptophan. | journal=J Exp Biol | volume=204 | issue=Pt 22 | pages=3867-76 | year=2001 | id=PMID 11807104}}</ref>However, the study mentions that plasma cortisol was not affected by dietary L-tryptophan.


Glucocorticoids have many important functions, including modulation of stress reactions, but in excess they can be damaging. ] of the hippocampus in humans and animals exposed to severe stress is believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to high concentrations of ]s. Deficiencies of the ] may reduce the memory resources available to help a body formulate appropriate reactions to stress.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Frankiensztajn |first1=Linoy Mia |last2=Elliott |first2=Evan |last3=Koren |first3=Omry |title=The microbiota and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, implications for anxiety and stress disorders |journal=Current Opinion in Neurobiology |date=June 2020 |volume=62 |pages=76–82 |doi=10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.003|pmid=31972462 |s2cid=210836469 }}</ref>
==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==Immune system==


There is bi-directional communication and feedback between the HPA axis and the ]. A number of ], such as ], ], ] and ] can activate the HPA axis, although IL-1 is the most potent. The HPA axis in turn modulates the immune response, with high levels of cortisol resulting in a suppression of immune and inflammatory reactions. This helps to protect the organism from a lethal overactivation of the immune system, and minimizes tissue damage from inflammation.<ref name="isbn_9780444530400"/>
===General===


In many ways, the ] is "]d", but it plays an important role in the immune system and is affected by it in turn. The CNS regulates the immune system through ] pathways, such as the HPA axis. The HPA axis is responsible for modulating ] that occur throughout the body.<ref name="MD">{{cite journal|last1=Marques-Deak|first1=A|last2=Cizza|first2=G|last3=Sternberg|first3=E|title=Brain-immune interactions and disease susceptibility|journal=Molecular Psychiatry|date=February 2005|volume=10|issue=3|pages=239–250|doi=10.1038/sj.mp.4001643|pmid=15685252|s2cid=17978810|doi-access=}}</ref><ref name="Otmishi">{{cite journal|last1=Otmishi|first1=Peyman|last2=Gordon|first2=Josiah|last3=El-Oshar|first3=Seraj|last4=Li|first4=Huafeng|last5=Guardiola|first5=Juan|last6=Saad|first6=Mohamed|last7=Proctor|first7=Mary|last8=Yu|first8=Jerry|title=Neuroimmune Interaction in Inflammatory Diseases|journal=Clinical Medicine: Circulatory, Respiratory, and Pulmonary Medicine|date=2008|volume=2|pages=35–44|pmc=2990232|pmid=21157520|doi=10.4137/ccrpm.s547}}</ref>
* Merali Z. ''et al.'' (1998) ''J Neurosci'' 18:4758-66


During an immune response, ] (e.g. IL-1) are released into the peripheral circulation system and can pass through the ] where they can interact with the brain and activate the HPA axis.<ref name="Otmishi"/><ref name="Tian">{{cite journal|last1=Tian|first1=Rui|last2=Hou|first2=Gonglin|last3=Li|first3=Dan|last4=Yuan|first4=Ti-Fei|title=A Possible Change Process of Inflammatory Cytokines in the prolonged Chronic Stress and its Ultimate Implications for Health|journal=The Scientific World Journal|date=June 2014|volume=2014|pages=780616|pmc=4065693|doi=10.1155/2014/780616|pmid=24995360|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Hall">{{cite journal|last1=Hall|first1=Jessica|last2=Cruser|first2=desAgnes|last3=Podawiltz|first3=Alan|last4=Mummert|first4=Diana|last5=Jones|first5=Harlan|last6=Mummert|first6=Mark|title=Psychological Stress and the Cutaneous Immune Response: Roles of the HPA Axis and the Sympathetic Nervous System in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis|journal=Dermatology Research and Practice|date=August 2012|volume=2012|pages=403908|doi=10.1155/2012/403908|pmid=22969795|pmc=3437281|doi-access=free}}</ref> Interactions between the ] and the brain can alter the ] of ] and cause symptoms such as fatigue, ], and mood changes.<ref name="Otmishi"/><ref name="Tian"/> Deficiencies in the HPA axis may play a role in allergies and inflammatory/ autoimmune diseases, such as ] and ].<ref name="MD"/><ref name="Otmishi"/><ref name="Bellavance">{{cite journal|last1=Bellavance|first1=Marc-Andre|last2=Rivest|first2=Serge|title=The HPA-immune axis and the immunomodulatory actions of glucocorticoids in the brain|journal=Frontiers in Immunology|date=March 2014|volume=5|pages=136|doi=10.3389/fimmu.2014.00136|pmid=24744759|pmc=3978367|doi-access=free}}</ref>
===Relation to illnesses===


When the HPA axis is activated by ], such as an ], high levels of ] are released into the body and suppress immune response by inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g. ], ], and ]) and increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. ], ], and ]) in immune cells, such as ] and ].<ref name="Otmishi"/><ref name="Tian"/><ref name="Bellavance"/><ref name="Padgett">{{cite journal|last1=Padgett|first1=David|last2=Glaser|first2=Ronald|title=How stress influences the immune response|journal=Trends in Immunology|date=August 2003|volume=24|issue=8|pages=444–448|doi=10.1016/S1471-4906(03)00173-X|url=http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/ImmunologyGeneral/Stress%20and%20immunity.pdf|access-date=12 February 2016|pmid=12909458|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327154337/http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/ImmunologyGeneral/Stress%20and%20immunity.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Backhaus J ''et al.'' (2004) ''Psychoneuroendocrinology'' 29:1184-91
* Pruessner JC ''et al.'' (1999) ''Psychosom Med'' 61:197-204
* MacHale SM ''et al.''(1998) ''Neuropsychobiology'' 38:213-7
* Patacchioli FR ''et al.'' (2001) ''J Endocrinol Invest'' 24:173-7


The relationship between chronic stress and its concomitant activation of the HPA axis, and dysfunction of the immune system is unclear; studies have found both ] and hyperactivation of the immune response.<ref name="Padgett"/>
== External links ==

*
==Stress==
]

===Stress and disease===

The HPA axis is involved in the ] and ] of ]s and functional illnesses, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Spencer RL, Hutchison KE |title=Alcohol, aging, and the stress response |journal=Alcohol Research & Health |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=272–83 |year=1999 |pmid=10890824|pmc=6760387 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Carli J. |last2=Emge |first2=Jacob R. |last3=Berzins |first3=Katrina |last4=Lung |first4=Lydia |last5=Khamishon |first5=Rebecca |last6=Shah |first6=Paarth |last7=Rodrigues |first7=David M. |last8=Sousa |first8=Andrew J. |last9=Reardon |first9=Colin |last10=Sherman |first10=Philip M. |last11=Barrett |first11=Kim E. |last12=Gareau |first12=Mélanie G. |date=2014-10-15 |title=Probiotics normalize the gut-brain-microbiota axis in immunodeficient mice |journal=American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology |language=en |volume=307 |issue=8 |pages=G793–G802 |doi=10.1152/ajpgi.00238.2014 |pmid=25190473 |pmc=4200314 |issn=0193-1857}}</ref> ], which are routinely prescribed for many of these illnesses, serve to regulate HPA axis function.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Pariante CM |title=Depression, stress and the adrenal axis |journal=Journal of Neuroendocrinology |volume=15 |issue=8 |pages=811–2 |date=August 2003 |pmid=12834443 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2826.2003.01058.x|s2cid=1359479 }}</ref>

] are prevalent in ]s with respect to psychiatric ] such as ] and ], where women are diagnosed with these disorders more often than men.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rosinger |first1=Zachary |last2=Jacobskind |first2=Jason |last3=Park |first3=Shannon |last4=Justice |first4=Nicholas |last5=Zuloaga |first5=Damian |title=Distribution of Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 in the developing mouse forebrain: A novel sex difference revealed in the rostral periventricular hypothalamus |journal=Neuroscience |doi=10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.08.016 |volume=361 |year=2017 |pages=167–178|pmid=28823817 |pmc=7173945 }}</ref> One ]s study found that females may lack the ability to ] as well as process stress (particularly for ]) due to possible ] of ] expression as well as a deficiency of ] binding protein in the ]. By constantly activating the HPA axis, this could lead to higher instances of stress and disorders that would only get worse with ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Palumbo |first1=Michelle C. |last2=Dominguez |first2=Sky |last3=Dong |first3=Hongxin |title=Sex differences in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis regulation after chronic unpredictable stress |journal=Brain and Behavior |pages=e01586 |language=en |doi=10.1002/brb3.1586 |volume=10 |year=2020|issue=4 |pmid=32154650 |pmc=7177572 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Specifically in this rodent study, females showed greater activation of the HPA axis following stress than males. These differences also likely arise due to the opposing actions that certain ] have, such as ] and ]. Oestrogen functions to enhance stress-activated ] and ] secretion while testosterone functions to decrease HPA axis activation and works to inhibit both ACTH and CORT responses to stress.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Handa |first1=R. J. |last2=Weiser |first2=M. J. |last3=Zuloaga |first3=D. G. |title=A Role for the Androgen Metabolite, 5α-Androstane-3β,17β-Diol, in Modulating Oestrogen Receptor β-Mediated Regulation of Hormonal Stress Reactivity |journal=Journal of Neuroendocrinology |pages=351–358 |language=en |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2826.2009.01840.x |date=2009 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pmid=19207807 |pmc=2727750}}</ref> However, more studies are required to better understand the underlying basis of these sex differences.

Experimental studies have investigated many different types of stress, and their effects on the HPA axis in many different circumstances.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Douglas AJ |title=Central noradrenergic mechanisms underlying acute stress responses of the Hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis: adaptations through pregnancy and lactation |journal=Stress |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=5–18 |date=March 2005 |pmid=16019594 |doi=10.1080/10253890500044380|s2cid=24654645 }}</ref> Stressors can be of many different types—in experimental studies in rats, a distinction is often made between "]" and "]", but both types activate the HPA axis, though via different pathways.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Engelmann M, Landgraf R, Wotjak CT |title=The hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system regulates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis under stress: an old concept revisited |journal=Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology |volume=25 |issue=3–4 |pages=132–49 |year=2004 |pmid=15589266 |doi=10.1016/j.yfrne.2004.09.001|s2cid=41983825 }}</ref> Several ] neurotransmitters are important in regulating the HPA axis, especially ], ] and ] (noradrenaline). There is evidence that an increase in ], resulting for instance from positive ], acts to suppress the HPA axis and thereby counteracts stress, promoting positive health effects such as ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Detillion CE, Craft TK, Glasper ER, Prendergast BJ, DeVries AC |title=Social facilitation of wound healing |journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology |volume=29 |issue=8 |pages=1004–11 |date=September 2004 |pmid=15219651 |doi=10.1016/j.psyneuen.2003.10.003|s2cid=5986340 }}</ref>

The HPA axis is a feature of ]s and other ]s. For example, biologists studying stress in fish showed that ] leads to chronic stress, related to reduced ] interactions, to ], and to the constant threat imposed by ] fish. Serotonin (5-HT) appeared to be the active neurotransmitter involved in mediating stress responses, and increases in serotonin are related to increased ] ] levels, which causes skin darkening (a social signal in ]oid fish), activation of the HPA axis, and inhibition of aggression. Inclusion of the ] ], a precursor of 5-HT, in the feed of ] made the trout less aggressive and less responsive to stress.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Winberg S, Øverli Ø, Lepage O |title=Suppression of aggression in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by dietary L-tryptophan |journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=204 |issue=Pt 22 |pages=3867–76 |date=November 2001 |doi=10.1242/jeb.204.22.3867 |pmid=11807104 |url=http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11807104}}</ref> However, the study mentions that plasma cortisol was not affected by dietary ] The drug ] (also known as ], an ] of the ]s ] and ]) has been shown to interfere in the HPA axis, with chronic oral administration of this drug leading to markedly reduced baseline ] levels in bonnet macaques ('']''); acute ] of LY354740 resulted in a marked diminution of ]-induced ] in those animals.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Coplan JD, Mathew SJ, Smith EL, etal |title=Effects of LY354740, a novel glutamatergic metabotropic agonist, on nonhuman primate hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and noradrenergic function |journal=CNS Spectrums |volume=6 |issue=7 |pages=607–12, 617 |date=July 2001 |pmid=15573025|doi=10.1017/S1092852900002157 |s2cid=6029856 }}</ref>

Studies on people show that the HPA axis is activated in different ways during chronic stress depending on the type of stressor, the person's response to the ] and other factors. Stressors that are uncontrollable, threaten physical integrity, or involve ] tend to have a high, flat ] profile of cortisol release (with lower-than-normal levels of cortisol in the morning and higher-than-normal levels in the evening) resulting in a high overall level of daily cortisol release. On the other hand, controllable stressors tend to produce higher-than-normal morning cortisol. Stress hormone release tends to decline gradually after a stressor occurs. In ] there appears to be lower-than-normal cortisol release, and it is thought that a blunted hormonal response to stress may ] a person to develop ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Miller GE, Chen E, Zhou ES |title=If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis in humans |journal=Psychological Bulletin |volume=133 |issue=1 |pages=25–45 |date=January 2007 |pmid=17201569 |doi=10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.25}}</ref>

It is also known that HPA axis hormones are related to certain ] and skin homeostasis. There is evidence shown that the HPA axis hormones can be linked to certain stress related skin diseases and ]. This happens when HPA axis hormones become hyperactive in the brain.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kim JE, Cho BK, Cho DH, Park HJ |title=Expression of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in common skin diseases: evidence of its association with stress-related disease activity |journal=Acta Dermato-Venereologica |volume=93 |issue=4 |pages=387–93 |date=July 2013 |pmid=23462974 |doi=10.2340/00015555-1557|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Stress and development===

====Prenatal stress====

There is evidence that ] can influence HPA regulation. In animal experiments, exposure to prenatal stress has been shown to cause a hyper-reactive HPA stress response. Rats that have been prenatally stressed have elevated basal levels and abnormal ] of ] as adults.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Koehl M, Darnaudéry M, Dulluc J, Van Reeth O, Le Moal M, Maccari S |title=Prenatal stress alters circadian activity of hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis and hippocampal corticosteroid receptors in adult rats of both gender |journal=Journal of Neurobiology |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=302–15 |date=September 1999 |pmid=10440731 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-4695(19990905)40:3<302::AID-NEU3>3.0.CO;2-7}}</ref> Additionally, they require a longer time for their stress hormone levels to return to baseline following exposure to both acute and prolonged stressors. Prenatally stressed animals also show abnormally high blood glucose levels and have fewer ] receptors in the ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Weinstock M, Matlina E, Maor GI, Rosen H, McEwen BS |title=Prenatal stress selectively alters the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system in the female rat |journal=Brain Research |volume=595 |issue=2 |pages=195–200 |date=November 1992 |pmid=1467966 |doi=10.1016/0006-8993(92)91049-K|s2cid=44382315 }}</ref> In humans, prolonged ] during ] is associated with mild ] and ] in their children, and with behavior disorders such as ], ], ] and ]; self-reported maternal stress is associated with a higher irritability, emotional and attentional problems.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Weinstock M |title=The long-term behavioural consequences of prenatal stress |journal=Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=32 |issue=6 |pages=1073–86 |date=August 2008 |pmid=18423592 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.03.002 |s2cid=3717977 |url=http://www.hkmacme.org/course/2008BW07-01-00/SP0708.pdf |access-date=2014-05-04 |archive-date=2023-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810072550/http://www.hkmacme.org/course/2008BW07-01-00/SP0708.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

There is growing evidence that prenatal stress can affect HPA regulation in humans. Children who were stressed prenatally may show altered ] rhythms. For example, several studies have found an association between ] and childhood cortisol levels.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Gutteling BM, de Weerth C, Buitelaar JK |title=Maternal prenatal stress and 4-6 year old children's salivary cortisol concentrations pre- and post-vaccination |journal=Stress |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=257–60 |date=December 2004 |pmid=16019591 |doi=10.1080/10253890500044521|hdl=2066/54819 |s2cid=38412082 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Prenatal stress has also been implicated in a tendency toward depression and short attention span in childhood.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Buitelaar JK, Huizink AC, Mulder EJ, de Medina PG, Visser GH |title=Prenatal stress and cognitive development and temperament in infants |journal=Neurobiology of Aging |volume=24 |pages=S53–60; discussion S67–8 |year=2003 |issue=Suppl 1 |pmid=12829109 |doi=10.1016/S0197-4580(03)00050-2|s2cid=3008063 }}</ref>

====Early life stress====
{{MOS|date=August 2023}}
The role of early life stress in programming the ] has been well-studied in ]. Exposure to mild or moderate ]s early in life has been shown to enhance HPA regulation and promote a lifelong resilience to stress. In contrast, early-life exposure to extreme or prolonged ] can induce a hyper-reactive HPA axis and may contribute to lifelong vulnerability to stress.<ref name="Flinn MV, Nepomnaschy PA, Muehlenbein MP, Ponzi D 1611–29">{{cite journal |vauthors=Flinn MV, Nepomnaschy PA, Muehlenbein MP, Ponzi D |title=Evolutionary functions of early social modulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis development in humans |journal=Neurosci Biobehav Rev|volume=35|issue=7 |pages=1611–29 |date=June 2011|pmid=21251923 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.01.005|s2cid=16950714 }}</ref> In one widely ] experiment, rats subjected to the moderate stress of frequent human handling during the first two weeks of life had reduced hormonal and behavioral HPA-mediated stress responses as adults, whereas rats subjected to the extreme stress of prolonged periods of maternal separation showed heightened physiological and behavioral stress responses as adults.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Liu D, Diorio J, Tannenbaum B, et al. |title=Maternal care, hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors, and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal responses to stress |journal=Science |volume=277 |issue=5332 |pages=1659–62 |date=September 1997 |pmid=9287218 |doi=10.1126/science.277.5332.1659 |s2cid=2753764 }}</ref>

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these findings in rat models of early-life stress exposure. There may be a ] during development during which the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream contribute to the permanent calibration of the HPA axis. One experiment has shown that, even in the absence of any environmental ]s, early-life exposure to moderate levels of ] was associated with ] in adult rats, whereas exposure to high doses was associated with stress vulnerability.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |vauthors=Macrì S, Würbel H |title=Developmental plasticity of HPA and fear responses in rats: a critical review of the maternal mediation hypothesis|journal=Hormones and Behavior |volume=50 |issue=5 |pages=667–80 |date=December 2006|pmid=16890940 |doi=10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.06.015|s2cid=36877565 }}</ref>

Another possibility is that the effects of early-life stress on HPA functioning are mediated by ]. Frequent human handling of the rat pups may cause their mother to exhibit more nurturant behavior, such as licking and grooming. ], in turn, may enhance HPA functioning in at least two ways. First, maternal care is crucial in maintaining the normal stress hypo responsive period (SHRP), which in rodents, is the first two weeks of life during which the HPA axis is generally non-reactive to stress. Maintenance of the SHRP period may be critical for HPA development, and the extreme stress of maternal separation, which disrupts the SHRP, may lead to permanent HPA dysregulation.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=de Kloet ER, Sibug RM, Helmerhorst FM, Schmidt MV, Schmidt M |title=Stress, genes and the mechanism of programming the brain for later life |journal=Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=271–81 |date=April 2005 |pmid=15811498 |doi=10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.10.008|s2cid=24943895 }}</ref> Another way that maternal care might influence HPA regulation is by causing ] changes in the offspring. For example, increased maternal licking and grooming has been shown to alter expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene implicated in adaptive stress response.<ref name="Flinn MV, Nepomnaschy PA, Muehlenbein MP, Ponzi D 1611–29"/> At least one human study has identified maternal neural activity patterns in response to video stimuli of mother-infant separation as being associated with decreased glucocorticoid receptor gene ] in the context of ] stemming from early life stress.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schechter |first1=Daniel S. |last2=Moser |first2=Dominik A. |last3=Paoloni-Giacobino |first3=Ariane |last4=Stenz |first4=Ludwig |last5=Gex-Fabry |first5=Marianne |last6=Aue |first6=Tatjana |last7=Adouan |first7=Wafae |last8=Cordero |first8=María I. |last9=Suardi |first9=Francesca |last10=Manini |first10=Aurelia |last11=Sancho Rossignol |first11=Ana |date=2015 |title=Methylation of NR3C1 is related to maternal PTSD, parenting stress and maternal medial prefrontal cortical activity in response to child separation among mothers with histories of violence exposure |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=6 |page=690 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00690 |pmid=26074844 |pmc=4447998 |issn=1664-1078|doi-access=free }}</ref> Yet clearly, more research is needed to determine if the results seen in cross-generational animal models can be extended to humans.

Though animal models allow for more control of experimental manipulation, the effects of early life stress on HPA axis function in humans has also been studied. One population that is often studied in this type of research is adult survivors of ]. Adult survivors of childhood abuse have exhibited increased ] concentrations in response to a ] stress task compared to unaffected controls and subjects with ] but not childhood abuse.<ref name = "Heim et al. 2000">{{cite journal |author1=Heim C. |author2=Newport D. J. |author3=Heit S. |author4=Graham Y. P. |author5=Wilcox M. |author6=Bonsall R. |author7=Nemeroff C. B. | year = 2000 | title = Pituitary-adrenal and autonomic responses to stress in women after sexual and physical abuse in childhood | journal = JAMA | volume = 284 | issue = 5| pages = 592–597 | doi=10.1001/jama.284.5.592 | pmid=10918705| doi-access=free }}</ref> In one study, adult survivors of childhood abuse that are not depressed show increased ACTH response to both exogenous CRF and normal ] release. Adult survivors of childhood abuse that are depressed show a blunted ACTH response to exogenous CRH.<ref name = "Heim et al. 2001">{{cite journal |author1=Heim C. |author2=Newport D.J. |author3=Bonsall R. |author4=Miller A.H. |author5=Nemeroff C.B. | year = 2001 | title = Altered Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Provocative Challenge Tests in Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse | journal = Am J Psychiatry | volume = 158 | issue = 4| pages = 575–581 | doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.158.4.575 | pmid=11282691}}</ref> A blunted ACTH response is common in depression, so the authors of this work posit that this pattern is likely to be due to the participant's depression and not their exposure to early life stress.

Heim and colleagues have proposed that early life stress, such as childhood abuse, can induce a ] of the HPA axis, resulting in particular heightened ] in response to stress-induced CRH release.<ref name = "Heim et al. 2001" /> With repeated exposure to stress, the sensitized HPA axis may continue to hypersecrete CRH from the ]. Over time, CRH receptors in the ] will become ], producing depression and anxiety symptoms.<ref name= "Heim et al. 2001" /> This research in human subjects is consistent with the animal literature discussed above.

The HPA axis was present in the earliest vertebrate species, and has remained highly conserved by strong positive selection due to its critical adaptive roles.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Denver RJ | date = Apr 2009 | title = Structural and functional evolution of vertebrate neuroendocrine stress systems | url = https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74370/1/j.1749-6632.2009.04433.x.pdf | journal = Ann N Y Acad Sci | volume = 1163 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–16 | doi = 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04433.x | pmid = 19456324 | hdl = 2027.42/74370 | bibcode = 2009NYASA1163....1D | s2cid = 18786346 | hdl-access = free | access-date = 2019-09-01 | archive-date = 2023-08-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230810073053/https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/74370/j.1749-6632.2009.04433.x.pdf;jsessionid=63DD8A308C8F78D25A2FD5213858CF25?sequence=1 | url-status = live }}</ref> The programming of the HPA axis is strongly influenced by the perinatal and early juvenile environment, or "early-life environment".<ref name="Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2009">{{cite journal |vauthors=Oitzl MS, Champagne DL, van der Veen R, de Kloet ER | date = May 2010 | title = Brain development under stress: hypotheses of glucocorticoid actions revisited | journal = Neurosci Biobehav Rev | volume = 34 | issue = 6| pages = 853–66 | doi = 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.07.006 | pmid = 19631685 | s2cid = 25898149 }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal | author = Horton TH | date = Jan 2005 | title = Fetal origins of developmental plasticity: animal models of induced life history variation | journal = Am. J. Hum. Biol. | volume = 17 | issue = 1| pages = 34–43 | doi = 10.1002/ajhb.20092 | pmid = 15611963 | s2cid = 23466894 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10709726 | volume=47 | issue=3 | title=Antenatal glucocorticoids and programming of the developing CNS. | date=Mar 2000 | journal=Pediatr Res | pages=291–300 | doi=10.1203/00006450-200003000-00003 | author=Matthews SG| doi-access=free }}</ref> Maternal stress and differential degrees of caregiving may constitute early life adversity, which has been shown to profoundly influence, if not permanently alter, the offspring's stress and emotional regulating systems.<ref name="Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2009"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> Widely studied in animal models (e.g. licking and grooming/LG in rat pups),<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite journal | pmid = 12954431 | volume=79 | issue=3 | title=Variations in maternal care in the rat as a mediating influence for the effects of environment on development. | date=Aug 2003 | journal=Physiol Behav | pages=359–71 | doi=10.1016/s0031-9384(03)00149-5 |vauthors=Champagne FA, Francis DD, Mar A, Meaney MJ| citeseerx=10.1.1.335.3199 | s2cid=18599019 }}</ref> the consistency of maternal care has been shown to have a powerful influence on the offspring's ], ], and behavior. Whereas maternal care improves cardiac response, ], and ] secretion in the ], it also suppresses HPA axis activity. In this manner, maternal care negatively regulates stress response in the ],<ref name="ReferenceB"/> thereby shaping his/her susceptibility to stress in later life. These programming effects are not deterministic, as the environment in which the individual develops can either match or mismatch with the former's "programmed" and genetically ] HPA axis reactivity. Although the primary mediators of the HPA axis are known, the exact mechanism by which its programming can be modulated during early life remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, evolutionary biologists contest the exact adaptive value of such programming, i.e. whether heightened HPA axis reactivity may confer greater evolutionary fitness.

Various hypotheses have been proposed, in attempts to explain why early life adversity can produce outcomes ranging from extreme vulnerability to resilience in the face of later stress. ]s produced by the HPA axis have been proposed to confer either a protective or harmful role, depending on an individual's ]s, programming effects of early-life environment, and match or mismatch with one's ] environment. The predictive adaptation hypothesis (1), the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience (2) and the maternal mediation hypothesis (3) attempt to elucidate how early life adversity can differentially predict vulnerability or resilience in the face of significant stress in later life.<ref name="Daskalakis NP 2013">{{cite journal |vauthors=Daskalakis NP, Bagot RC, Parker KJ, Vinkers CH, de Kloet ER | date = Sep 2013 | title = The three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience: toward understanding adaptation to early-life adversity outcome | journal = Psychoneuroendocrinology | volume = 38 | issue = 9| pages = 1858–73 | doi = 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.008 | pmid = 23838101 | pmc=3773020}}</ref> These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive but rather are highly interrelated and unique to the individual.

(1) The predictive adaptation hypothesis:<ref name="Daskalakis NP 2013"/> This hypothesis is in direct contrast with the ], which posits that the accumulation of ]s across a lifespan can enhance the development of ] once a threshold is crossed. Predictive adaptation asserts that early life experience induces ] change; these changes predict or "set the stage" for adaptive responses that will be required in their environment. Thus, if a developing child (i.e., fetus to neonate) is exposed to ongoing maternal stress and low levels of maternal care (i.e., early life adversity), this will program their HPA axis to be more reactive to stress. This programming will have predicted, and potentially be adaptive in a highly stressful, precarious environment during childhood and later life. The predictability of these epigenetic changes is not definitive, however – depending primarily on the degree to which the individual's genetic and epigenetically modulated ] "matches" or "mismatches" with their environment (See: Hypothesis (2)).

(2) Three-Hit Concept of vulnerability and resilience:<ref name="Daskalakis NP 2013"/> this hypothesis states that within a specific life context, vulnerability may be enhanced with chronic failure to cope with ongoing adversity. It fundamentally seeks to explicate why, under seemingly indistinguishable circumstances, one individual may cope resiliently with stress, whereas another may not only cope poorly, but consequently develop a stress-related ]. The three "hits" – ] and ] – are as follows: genetic predisposition (which predispose higher/lower HPA axis reactivity), early-life environment (perinatal – i.e. maternal stress, and postnatal – i.e. maternal care), and later-life environment (which determines match/mismatch, as well as a window for ] changes in early programming).<ref name="Roth TL, Matt S, Chen K, Blaze J 1755–63">{{cite journal |vauthors=Roth TL, Matt S, Chen K, Blaze J | date = Dec 2014 | title = Bdnf DNA methylation modifications in the hippocampus and amygdala of male and female rats exposed to different caregiving environments outside the homecage | journal = Dev Psychobiol | volume = 56 | issue = 8| pages = 1755–63 | doi = 10.1002/dev.21218 | pmid = 24752649 | pmc=4205217}}</ref> The concept of match/mismatch is central to this evolutionary hypothesis. In this context, it elucidates why early life programming in the perinatal and postnatal period may have been evolutionarily selected for. Specifically, by instating specific patterns of HPA axis activation, the individual may be more well-equipped to cope with adversity in a high-stress environment. Conversely, if an individual is exposed to significant early life adversity, heightened HPA axis reactivity may "mismatch" them in an environment characterized by low stress. The latter scenario may represent ] due to early programming, genetic predisposition, and mismatch. This mismatch may then predict negative developmental outcomes such as psychopathologies in later life.

(3) Maternal mediation hypothesis:<ref name=":0" /> This hypothesis states that maternal care is the primary factor in developing stress resistance later in life.

Ultimately, the conservation of the HPA axis has underscored its critical adaptive roles in vertebrates, so, too, various invertebrate species over time. The HPA axis plays a clear role in the production of corticosteroids, which govern many facets of brain development and responses to ongoing environmental stress. With these findings, animal model research has served to identify what these roles are – with regards to animal development and evolutionary adaptation. In more precarious, primitive times, a heightened HPA axis may have served to protect ]s from ] and extreme environmental conditions, such as weather and natural disasters, by encouraging ] (i.e. fleeing), the mobilization of energy, learning (in the face of novel, dangerous stimuli) as well as increased appetite for ] energy storage. In contemporary society, the endurance of the HPA axis and early life programming will have important implications for counseling expecting and new mothers, as well as individuals who may have experienced significant early life adversity.<ref name="Roth TL, Matt S, Chen K, Blaze J 1755–63"/>

==See also==
;Other major neuroendocrine systems
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;Related topics<!-- new links in alphabetical order please -->
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==References==
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==External links==
{{Commons}}
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Latest revision as of 03:20, 25 September 2024

Set of physiological feedback interactions
Schematic of the HPA axis (CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone)
Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis or HTPA axis) is a complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus (a part of the brain located below the thalamus), the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped structure located below the hypothalamus), and the adrenal (also called "suprarenal") glands (small, conical organs on top of the kidneys). These organs and their interactions constitute the HPS axis.

The HPA axis is a major neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulates many body processes, including digestion, immune responses, mood and emotions, sexual activity, and energy storage and expenditure. It is the common mechanism for interactions among glands, hormones, and parts of the midbrain that mediate the general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

While steroid hormones are produced mainly in vertebrates, the physiological role of the HPA axis and corticosteroids in stress response is so fundamental that analogous systems can be found in invertebrates and monocellular organisms as well.

The HPA axis, hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis, and the hypothalamic–neurohypophyseal system are the four major neuroendocrine systems through which the hypothalamus and pituitary direct neuroendocrine function.

Anatomy

The key elements of the HPA axis are:

CRH and vasopressin are released from neurosecretory nerve terminals at the median eminence. CRH is transported to the anterior pituitary through the portal blood vessel system of the hypophyseal stalk and vasopressin is transported by axonal transport to the posterior pituitary gland. There, CRH and vasopressin act synergistically to stimulate the secretion of stored ACTH from corticotrope cells. ACTH is transported by the blood to the adrenal cortex of the adrenal gland, where it rapidly stimulates the biosynthesis of corticosteroids such as cortisol from cholesterol. Cortisol is a major stress hormone and has effects on many tissues in the body, including the brain. In the brain, cortisol acts on two types of receptors: mineralocorticoid receptors and glucocorticoid receptors, and these are expressed by many different types of neurons. One important target of glucocorticoids is the hypothalamus, which is a major controlling centre of the HPA axis.

Vasopressin can be thought of as "water conservation hormone" and is also known as "antidiuretic hormone(ADH)". It is released when the body is dehydrated and has potent water-conserving effects on the kidney. It is also a potent vasoconstrictor.

Important to the function of the HPA axis are some of the following feedback loops:

  • Cortisol produced in the adrenal cortex will negatively feedback to inhibit both the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. This reduces the secretion of CRH and vasopressin, and also directly reduces the cleavage of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) into ACTH and β-endorphins.
  • Epinephrine and norepinephrine (E/NE) are produced by the adrenal medulla through sympathetic stimulation and the local effects of cortisol (upregulation enzymes to make E/NE). E/NE will positively feedback to the pituitary and increase the breakdown of POMCs into ACTH and β-endorphins.

Function

Release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus is influenced by stress, physical activity, illness, by blood levels of cortisol and by the sleep/wake cycle (circadian rhythm). In healthy individuals, cortisol rises rapidly after wakening, reaching a peak within 30–45 minutes. It then gradually falls over the day, rising again in late afternoon. Cortisol levels then fall in late evening, reaching a trough during the middle of the night. This corresponds to the rest-activity cycle of the organism. An abnormally flattened circadian cortisol cycle has been linked with chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia and burnout.

The HPA axis has a central role in regulating many homeostatic systems in the body, including the metabolic system, cardiovascular system, immune system, reproductive system and central nervous system. The HPA axis integrates physical and psychosocial influences in order to allow an organism to adapt effectively to its environment, use resources, and optimize survival.

Anatomical connections between brain areas such as the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus facilitate activation of the HPA axis. Sensory information arriving at the lateral aspect of the amygdala is processed and conveyed to the amygdala's central nucleus, which then projects out to several parts of the brain involved in responses to fear. At the hypothalamus, fear-signaling impulses activate both the sympathetic nervous system and the modulating systems of the HPA axis.

Increased production of cortisol during stress results in an increased availability of glucose in order to facilitate fighting or fleeing. As well as directly increasing glucose availability, cortisol also suppresses the highly demanding metabolic processes of the immune system, resulting in further availability of glucose.

Glucocorticoids have many important functions, including modulation of stress reactions, but in excess they can be damaging. Atrophy of the hippocampus in humans and animals exposed to severe stress is believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to high concentrations of glucocorticoids. Deficiencies of the hippocampus may reduce the memory resources available to help a body formulate appropriate reactions to stress.

Immune system

There is bi-directional communication and feedback between the HPA axis and the immune system. A number of cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha can activate the HPA axis, although IL-1 is the most potent. The HPA axis in turn modulates the immune response, with high levels of cortisol resulting in a suppression of immune and inflammatory reactions. This helps to protect the organism from a lethal overactivation of the immune system, and minimizes tissue damage from inflammation.

In many ways, the CNS is "immune privileged", but it plays an important role in the immune system and is affected by it in turn. The CNS regulates the immune system through neuroendocrine pathways, such as the HPA axis. The HPA axis is responsible for modulating inflammatory responses that occur throughout the body.

During an immune response, proinflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-1) are released into the peripheral circulation system and can pass through the blood–brain barrier where they can interact with the brain and activate the HPA axis. Interactions between the proinflammatory cytokines and the brain can alter the metabolic activity of neurotransmitters and cause symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and mood changes. Deficiencies in the HPA axis may play a role in allergies and inflammatory/ autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

When the HPA axis is activated by stressors, such as an immune response, high levels of glucocorticoids are released into the body and suppress immune response by inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-1, TNF alpha, and IFN gamma) and increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13) in immune cells, such as monocytes and neutrophils.

The relationship between chronic stress and its concomitant activation of the HPA axis, and dysfunction of the immune system is unclear; studies have found both immunosuppression and hyperactivation of the immune response.

Stress

Schematic overview of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Stress activates the HPA-axis and thereby enhances the secretion of glucocorticoids from the adrenals.

Stress and disease

The HPA axis is involved in the neurobiology and pathophysiology of mood disorders and functional illnesses, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, major depressive disorder, burnout, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and alcoholism. Antidepressants, which are routinely prescribed for many of these illnesses, serve to regulate HPA axis function.

Sex differences are prevalent in humans with respect to psychiatric stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression, where women are diagnosed with these disorders more often than men. One rodents study found that females may lack the ability to tolerate as well as process stress (particularly for chronic stress) due to possible down regulation of glucocorticoid receptor expression as well as a deficiency of FKBP51 binding protein in the cytosol. By constantly activating the HPA axis, this could lead to higher instances of stress and disorders that would only get worse with chronic stress. Specifically in this rodent study, females showed greater activation of the HPA axis following stress than males. These differences also likely arise due to the opposing actions that certain sex steroids have, such as testosterone and oestrogen. Oestrogen functions to enhance stress-activated ACTH and CORT secretion while testosterone functions to decrease HPA axis activation and works to inhibit both ACTH and CORT responses to stress. However, more studies are required to better understand the underlying basis of these sex differences.

Experimental studies have investigated many different types of stress, and their effects on the HPA axis in many different circumstances. Stressors can be of many different types—in experimental studies in rats, a distinction is often made between "social stress" and "physical stress", but both types activate the HPA axis, though via different pathways. Several monoamine neurotransmitters are important in regulating the HPA axis, especially dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). There is evidence that an increase in oxytocin, resulting for instance from positive social interactions, acts to suppress the HPA axis and thereby counteracts stress, promoting positive health effects such as wound healing.

The HPA axis is a feature of mammals and other vertebrates. For example, biologists studying stress in fish showed that social subordination leads to chronic stress, related to reduced aggressive interactions, to lack of control, and to the constant threat imposed by dominant fish. Serotonin (5-HT) appeared to be the active neurotransmitter involved in mediating stress responses, and increases in serotonin are related to increased plasma α-MSH levels, which causes skin darkening (a social signal in salmonoid fish), activation of the HPA axis, and inhibition of aggression. Inclusion of the amino acid L-tryptophan, a precursor of 5-HT, in the feed of rainbow trout made the trout less aggressive and less responsive to stress. However, the study mentions that plasma cortisol was not affected by dietary L-tryptophan. The drug LY354740 (also known as Eglumegad, an agonist of the metabotropic glutamate receptors 2 and 3) has been shown to interfere in the HPA axis, with chronic oral administration of this drug leading to markedly reduced baseline cortisol levels in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata); acute infusion of LY354740 resulted in a marked diminution of yohimbine-induced stress response in those animals.

Studies on people show that the HPA axis is activated in different ways during chronic stress depending on the type of stressor, the person's response to the stressor and other factors. Stressors that are uncontrollable, threaten physical integrity, or involve trauma tend to have a high, flat diurnal profile of cortisol release (with lower-than-normal levels of cortisol in the morning and higher-than-normal levels in the evening) resulting in a high overall level of daily cortisol release. On the other hand, controllable stressors tend to produce higher-than-normal morning cortisol. Stress hormone release tends to decline gradually after a stressor occurs. In post-traumatic stress disorder there appears to be lower-than-normal cortisol release, and it is thought that a blunted hormonal response to stress may predispose a person to develop PTSD.

It is also known that HPA axis hormones are related to certain skin diseases and skin homeostasis. There is evidence shown that the HPA axis hormones can be linked to certain stress related skin diseases and skin tumors. This happens when HPA axis hormones become hyperactive in the brain.

Stress and development

Prenatal stress

There is evidence that prenatal stress can influence HPA regulation. In animal experiments, exposure to prenatal stress has been shown to cause a hyper-reactive HPA stress response. Rats that have been prenatally stressed have elevated basal levels and abnormal circadian rhythm of corticosterone as adults. Additionally, they require a longer time for their stress hormone levels to return to baseline following exposure to both acute and prolonged stressors. Prenatally stressed animals also show abnormally high blood glucose levels and have fewer glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus. In humans, prolonged maternal stress during gestation is associated with mild impairment of intellectual activity and language development in their children, and with behavior disorders such as attention deficits, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression; self-reported maternal stress is associated with a higher irritability, emotional and attentional problems.

There is growing evidence that prenatal stress can affect HPA regulation in humans. Children who were stressed prenatally may show altered cortisol rhythms. For example, several studies have found an association between maternal depression during pregnancy and childhood cortisol levels. Prenatal stress has also been implicated in a tendency toward depression and short attention span in childhood.

Early life stress

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The role of early life stress in programming the HPA axis has been well-studied in animal models. Exposure to mild or moderate stressors early in life has been shown to enhance HPA regulation and promote a lifelong resilience to stress. In contrast, early-life exposure to extreme or prolonged stress can induce a hyper-reactive HPA axis and may contribute to lifelong vulnerability to stress. In one widely replicated experiment, rats subjected to the moderate stress of frequent human handling during the first two weeks of life had reduced hormonal and behavioral HPA-mediated stress responses as adults, whereas rats subjected to the extreme stress of prolonged periods of maternal separation showed heightened physiological and behavioral stress responses as adults.

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these findings in rat models of early-life stress exposure. There may be a critical period during development during which the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream contribute to the permanent calibration of the HPA axis. One experiment has shown that, even in the absence of any environmental stressors, early-life exposure to moderate levels of corticosterone was associated with stress resilience in adult rats, whereas exposure to high doses was associated with stress vulnerability.

Another possibility is that the effects of early-life stress on HPA functioning are mediated by maternal care. Frequent human handling of the rat pups may cause their mother to exhibit more nurturant behavior, such as licking and grooming. Nurturant maternal care, in turn, may enhance HPA functioning in at least two ways. First, maternal care is crucial in maintaining the normal stress hypo responsive period (SHRP), which in rodents, is the first two weeks of life during which the HPA axis is generally non-reactive to stress. Maintenance of the SHRP period may be critical for HPA development, and the extreme stress of maternal separation, which disrupts the SHRP, may lead to permanent HPA dysregulation. Another way that maternal care might influence HPA regulation is by causing epigenetic changes in the offspring. For example, increased maternal licking and grooming has been shown to alter expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene implicated in adaptive stress response. At least one human study has identified maternal neural activity patterns in response to video stimuli of mother-infant separation as being associated with decreased glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from early life stress. Yet clearly, more research is needed to determine if the results seen in cross-generational animal models can be extended to humans.

Though animal models allow for more control of experimental manipulation, the effects of early life stress on HPA axis function in humans has also been studied. One population that is often studied in this type of research is adult survivors of childhood abuse. Adult survivors of childhood abuse have exhibited increased ACTH concentrations in response to a psychosocial stress task compared to unaffected controls and subjects with depression but not childhood abuse. In one study, adult survivors of childhood abuse that are not depressed show increased ACTH response to both exogenous CRF and normal cortisol release. Adult survivors of childhood abuse that are depressed show a blunted ACTH response to exogenous CRH. A blunted ACTH response is common in depression, so the authors of this work posit that this pattern is likely to be due to the participant's depression and not their exposure to early life stress.

Heim and colleagues have proposed that early life stress, such as childhood abuse, can induce a sensitization of the HPA axis, resulting in particular heightened neuronal activity in response to stress-induced CRH release. With repeated exposure to stress, the sensitized HPA axis may continue to hypersecrete CRH from the hypothalamus. Over time, CRH receptors in the anterior pituitary will become down-regulated, producing depression and anxiety symptoms. This research in human subjects is consistent with the animal literature discussed above.

The HPA axis was present in the earliest vertebrate species, and has remained highly conserved by strong positive selection due to its critical adaptive roles. The programming of the HPA axis is strongly influenced by the perinatal and early juvenile environment, or "early-life environment". Maternal stress and differential degrees of caregiving may constitute early life adversity, which has been shown to profoundly influence, if not permanently alter, the offspring's stress and emotional regulating systems. Widely studied in animal models (e.g. licking and grooming/LG in rat pups), the consistency of maternal care has been shown to have a powerful influence on the offspring's neurobiology, physiology, and behavior. Whereas maternal care improves cardiac response, sleep/wake rhythm, and growth hormone secretion in the neonate, it also suppresses HPA axis activity. In this manner, maternal care negatively regulates stress response in the neonate, thereby shaping his/her susceptibility to stress in later life. These programming effects are not deterministic, as the environment in which the individual develops can either match or mismatch with the former's "programmed" and genetically predisposed HPA axis reactivity. Although the primary mediators of the HPA axis are known, the exact mechanism by which its programming can be modulated during early life remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, evolutionary biologists contest the exact adaptive value of such programming, i.e. whether heightened HPA axis reactivity may confer greater evolutionary fitness.

Various hypotheses have been proposed, in attempts to explain why early life adversity can produce outcomes ranging from extreme vulnerability to resilience in the face of later stress. Glucocorticoids produced by the HPA axis have been proposed to confer either a protective or harmful role, depending on an individual's genetic predispositions, programming effects of early-life environment, and match or mismatch with one's postnatal environment. The predictive adaptation hypothesis (1), the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience (2) and the maternal mediation hypothesis (3) attempt to elucidate how early life adversity can differentially predict vulnerability or resilience in the face of significant stress in later life. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive but rather are highly interrelated and unique to the individual.

(1) The predictive adaptation hypothesis: This hypothesis is in direct contrast with the diathesis stress model, which posits that the accumulation of stressors across a lifespan can enhance the development of psychopathology once a threshold is crossed. Predictive adaptation asserts that early life experience induces epigenetic change; these changes predict or "set the stage" for adaptive responses that will be required in their environment. Thus, if a developing child (i.e., fetus to neonate) is exposed to ongoing maternal stress and low levels of maternal care (i.e., early life adversity), this will program their HPA axis to be more reactive to stress. This programming will have predicted, and potentially be adaptive in a highly stressful, precarious environment during childhood and later life. The predictability of these epigenetic changes is not definitive, however – depending primarily on the degree to which the individual's genetic and epigenetically modulated phenotype "matches" or "mismatches" with their environment (See: Hypothesis (2)).

(2) Three-Hit Concept of vulnerability and resilience: this hypothesis states that within a specific life context, vulnerability may be enhanced with chronic failure to cope with ongoing adversity. It fundamentally seeks to explicate why, under seemingly indistinguishable circumstances, one individual may cope resiliently with stress, whereas another may not only cope poorly, but consequently develop a stress-related mental illness. The three "hits" – chronological and synergistic – are as follows: genetic predisposition (which predispose higher/lower HPA axis reactivity), early-life environment (perinatal – i.e. maternal stress, and postnatal – i.e. maternal care), and later-life environment (which determines match/mismatch, as well as a window for neuroplastic changes in early programming). The concept of match/mismatch is central to this evolutionary hypothesis. In this context, it elucidates why early life programming in the perinatal and postnatal period may have been evolutionarily selected for. Specifically, by instating specific patterns of HPA axis activation, the individual may be more well-equipped to cope with adversity in a high-stress environment. Conversely, if an individual is exposed to significant early life adversity, heightened HPA axis reactivity may "mismatch" them in an environment characterized by low stress. The latter scenario may represent maladaptation due to early programming, genetic predisposition, and mismatch. This mismatch may then predict negative developmental outcomes such as psychopathologies in later life.

(3) Maternal mediation hypothesis: This hypothesis states that maternal care is the primary factor in developing stress resistance later in life.

Ultimately, the conservation of the HPA axis has underscored its critical adaptive roles in vertebrates, so, too, various invertebrate species over time. The HPA axis plays a clear role in the production of corticosteroids, which govern many facets of brain development and responses to ongoing environmental stress. With these findings, animal model research has served to identify what these roles are – with regards to animal development and evolutionary adaptation. In more precarious, primitive times, a heightened HPA axis may have served to protect organisms from predators and extreme environmental conditions, such as weather and natural disasters, by encouraging migration (i.e. fleeing), the mobilization of energy, learning (in the face of novel, dangerous stimuli) as well as increased appetite for biochemical energy storage. In contemporary society, the endurance of the HPA axis and early life programming will have important implications for counseling expecting and new mothers, as well as individuals who may have experienced significant early life adversity.

See also

Other major neuroendocrine systems
Related topics
Conditions

References

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    •The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. It comprises corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), released by the hypothalamus; adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), released by the anterior pituitary; and glucocorticoids, released by the adrenal cortex.
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