Futuros fármacos que controlam a ansiedade e depressão por meio da via de sinalização do fator liberador de corticotrofina: uma revisão da literatura

Abstract

The hypothalamic-pituitary axis is a region that plays important roles in the integration of the nervous and endocrine systems in the human body. The hypothalamus is a small region of the brain that performs important functions such as temperature regulation, hunger and blood pressure. The hypothalamus produces hormones that control pituitary secretion, including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which controls the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the pituitary. ACTH is a peptide of about 39 amino acids that is produced by the anterior pituitary. This hormone is primarily responsible for controlling the secretion of steroids in the adrenal gland, so it is an important regulator of the synthesis of cortisol and aldosterone, which are the hormones that respond to stressors, acting in the body to control stress, maintain blood pressure and controlling blood sugar levels. Stress is linked to several pathologies, including anxiety and depression, where excess stress can facilitate the development or worsen the clinical condition of patients with these pathologies. Given the above, this work aimed to relate CRF with stress and anxiety and depression as well as research compounds that act in a CRF agonistic way aiming at new therapies for stress control and acting in anxiety and depression. The work was carried out through searches in the following databases: Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scielo. The keywords used were: stress, CRF antagonists, anxiety, depression and their corresponding words in English. 25 articles were selected because they fit better in the keywords used in the research. We understand that CRF is the initial response of the hypothalamus to the stimulus of stressors, where after its release occurs the synthesis of ACTH responsible for the stimulation of the adrenal glands. Compounds with antagonistic action to CRF have been the subject of studies as it aims to reduce the problems caused by stress in the body, such as the reduction of anxiety and depression rates. However, the compounds studied have not yet presented favorable clinical results for their commercialization.