title: Involvement and role of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis in animal models of chronic pain and inflammation.
abstract: Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis changes have been reported in several disease states, including major depressive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and various other conditions associated with chronic pain. These observations suggest that stress and the HPA axis may play important roles in the pathology of these diseases. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the role that chronic stress may play in human pathology, this review article explores the involvement of the HPA axis in those animal models of chronic pain and inflammation that entail persistent rather than intermittent stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark. sfb@neurosearch.dk
authors.forename: Signe F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bomholt
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Harbuz
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blackburn-Munro
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blackburn-Munro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*