title: Neuroendocrinology of the skin.
abstract: The skin is considered the mirror of the soul and is affected by neurohormonal triggers, especially stress. Hair follicles, keratinocytes, mast cells, melanocytes, and sebocytes all express sex and stress hormones implicating them in a local "hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis." In particular, the peptides corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and neurotensin (NT) have synergistic action stimulating mast cells and are uniquely elevated in the serum of patients with skin diseases exacerbated by stress. Addressing the neurohormonal regulation of skin function could lead to new targets for effective treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Suite J304, Boston, MA, 02111, USA. theoharis.theoharides@tufts.edu.|Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA. theoharis.theoharides@tufts.edu.|Department of Internal Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. theoharis.theoharides@tufts.edu.
authors.forename: Theoharis C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Theoharides
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Suite J304, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology, Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Suite J304, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.|Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taracanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Graduate Medical Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Pio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Christos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zouboulis
mesh_terms: D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009496:Neurotensin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
keywords: Corticotropin-releasing hormone; Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; Neuroendocrinology; Neurotensin; Skin