title: PACAP is implicated in the stress axes.
abstract: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a highly conserved pleiotropic neuropeptide that functions as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and neurotrophic factor. Accumulating evidence implicates PACAP as an important regulator of both central and/or peripheral components of the stress axes, particularly exposure to prolonged or traumatic stress. Indeed, PACAP and its cognate receptors are widely expressed in the brain regions and peripheral tissues that mediate stress-related responses. In the sympathoadrenomedullary system, PACAP is required for sustained epinephrine secretion during metabolic stress. It is likely that PACAP regulates autonomic function and contributes to peripheral homeostasis by maintaining a balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, favoring stimulation of the sympathetic system. Furthermore, PACAP is thought to act centrally on the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to regulate both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Intriguingly, PACAP is also active in brain structures that mediate anxiety- and fear-related behaviors, and the expression of PACAP and its receptors are dynamically altered under pathologic conditions. Thus PACAP may influence both hard-wired (genetically determined) stress responses and gene-environment interactions in stress-related psychopathology. This article aims to overview the molecular mechanisms and psychiatric implications of PACAP-dependent stress responses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. hasimoto@phs.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanida
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayata
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Akemichi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide