title: Role of Nitric Oxide in Stress-Induced Anxiety: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Target.
abstract: Stress is often marked by a state of hyperarousal to aid the initiation of necessary stress response for the successful management of stressful stimuli. It can be manifested as a challenge (stimulus) that requires behavioral, psychological, and physiological adaptations for the maintenance of a state of homeostasis in response to stressful stimuli. In an organism, miscellaneous stressors trigger a wide spectrum of alterations in hormonal and neuronal physiologies, resulting in behavioral (anxiety and depression disorders, diminished food intake and gastrointestinal dysfunctions, decline in sexual behavior, diabetes, and loss of cognitive function) and other physiological responses. Stress serves as a potent etiological link to development of several neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairments. Exposure to stressful stimuli has been found to be associated with activation of nitric oxide synthase and generation of NO which reacts with spontaneous oxygen species to aid formation of active nitrogen radicals. High concentrations of reactive nitrogen radicals may cause damage to intracellular proteins, in addition to causing impairment to components of the mitochondrial transport chain, leading to cellular energy deficiency. This may further serve as an etiological link to the development of secondary neurological diseases associated with chronic stress. Also, during stress exposure, pharmacological inhibition of nitric oxide production displays reduction in indicators of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior in animal models. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to present an overview on the role of NO in stress-evoked emergence of secondary neurological disorders like anxiety as well as citing examples where NO has been used as a therapeutic target for the management of stress-induced anxiety-like behavior.
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. Electronic address: kumaruips@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008959:Models, Neurological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496320:NOS1 protein, human; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
keywords: Anxiety; Neuroinflammation; Nitric oxide; Nitric oxide synthases; Oxidative stress; Stress