title: Neurosteroids; potential underpinning roles in maintaining homeostasis.
abstract: The neuroactive steroids which are synthesized in the brain and nervous system are known as "Neurosteroids". These steroids have crucial functions such as contributing to the myelination and organization of the brain connectivity. Under the stressful circumstances, the concentrations of neurosteroid products such as allopregnanolone (ALLO) and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) alter. It has been suggested that these stress-derived neurosteroids modulate the physiological response to stress. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis mediates the physiological adaptation following stress in order to maintain homeostasis. Although several regulatory pathways have been introduced, the exact role of neurosteroids in controlling HPA axis is not clear to date. In this review, we intend to discern specific pathways associated with regulation of HPA axis in which neuroactive steroids have the main role. In this respect, we propose pathways that may be initiated after neurosteroidogenesis in different brain subregions following acute stress which are potentially capable of activating or inhibiting the HPA axis.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Behrouz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Neurophysiology Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Rasoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.affiliation: NeuroBiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dargahi
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: aahmadiani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abolhassan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmadiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: haeria@sbmu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haeri
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; C009413:tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone; D011280:Pregnanolone
keywords: Allopregnanolone (ALLO); Allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC); Homeostasis; Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis; Neuroactive steroids; Neurosteroids