Effects of chronic antidepressant and benzodiazepine treatment on corticotropin-releasing-factor receptors in rat brain and pituitary.
We examined the effects of chronic treatment with antidepressants (imipramine or desipramine) or benzodiazepines (diazepam, alprazolam, or adinazolam) on modulation of corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) receptors in discrete areas of rat brain and in anterior pituitary. As previously reported, we found that chronic antidepressant treatment downregulated 5-HT2 serotonin and beta-adrenergic receptors in cerebral cortex. Although there was a trend toward increased CRF binding in brain stem, striatum, cerebellum, hypothalamus, and frontal cerebral cortex following antidepressant treatment, the changes were only statistically significant in brain stem in imipramine-treated rats. In addition, no significant changes were seen in CRF binding in other brain regions including parietal/temporal cerebral cortex, olfactory bulb, hippocampus, and anterior pituitary. Following chronic benzodiazepine treatment CRF receptor binding was significantly decreased in the frontal cerebral cortex and hippocampus; although there was a trend for CRF receptors to be decreased in other brain areas and increased in anterior pituitary, the changes were not statistically significant.
Grigoriadis
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Laboratory of Neurobiology, NIDA Addiction Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Pearsall
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De Souza
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D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000378:metabolism; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D001569:Benzodiazepines; C039668:adinazolam; D007099:Imipramine; D003975:Diazepam; D003891:Desipramine; D000525:Alprazolam