title: Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) and the stress response.
abstract: CART is expressed abundantly in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and locus coeruleus, major corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenaline sources, respectively. There is a bidirectional relation between CART and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. CART stimulates CRF, adrenocorticotropic hormone and glucocorticoid secretion, whereas CRF and glucocorticoids increase the transcriptional activity of the CART gene; adrenalectomy declines CART expression in the hypothalamus. Stress exposure modulates CART expression in hypothalamus and amygdala in rat brain in a region and sex specific manner. CART may be a mediator peptide in the interaction between stress, drug abuse, and feeding. The review discusses the established role of CART as it relates to the stress response.
authors.affiliation: Ege University Center for Brain Research, Department of Physiology, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey. ersin.koylu@ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ersin O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Koylu
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kuhar
authors.forename: Sakire
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pogun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein