Pathophysiology of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal & Gona

我们寻求推进下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺和性腺轴的生理学和病理生理学的理解。应激相关激素促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）和糖皮质激素在正常和疾病状态下的作用正在研究中，并寻求这些激素及其拮抗剂的临床应用。我们已经证明，几种人类状态的特征是中枢应激系统的活动过度或活动减退，这不仅解释了情绪变化，而且还解释了患有此类疾病的患者发展发育，代谢，心血管或自身免疫并发症的倾向。我们目前正在进行临床前研究与新发现的非肽类，口服，CRH 1型受体拮抗剂，antalarmin，这表明，这样的拮抗剂可能是有用的，在大量的状态，其特征在于过度活跃的压力系统，如抑郁症，神经性厌食症和特发性失眠。在应激系统靶组织水平，我们通过定义糖皮质激素受体基因的突变和/或缺失导致受体功能异常或减少，阐明了散发性和家族性糖皮质激素抵抗的分子病理生理学。在同一领域，我们描述了炎症诱导的糖皮质激素抵抗和糖皮质激素分泌不足的急性呼吸窘迫综合征。我们已经确定，Vpr和达特，两个小的HIV-1辅助蛋白，是糖皮质激素受体的有效的共激活剂，引起显着的靶组织糖皮质激素超敏反应，其存在可能解释艾滋病的一些临床特征和发病机制。此外，我们在了解先天性肾上腺皮质增生的病理生理和治疗方面取得了进展，证明这些患者存在肾上腺素缺乏和胰岛素抵抗，这会导致卵巢功能障碍和代谢异常，而我们已经表明，雄激素拮抗剂联合芳香化酶抑制剂治疗可降低其对糖皮质激素治疗的需求，从而获得更好的身高结局。最后，我们已经证明，21-羟化酶缺乏症，一种常见的条件，是与显着的精神和身体的发病率的载体状态。最近，我们开始研究线粒体在应激反应中的参与。我们已经创建了一个线粒体基因微阵列芯片，并确定了糖皮质激素的主要输入调节酶单胺氧化酶和产生的氧自由基在肌肉细胞。

We seek to advance the understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and -gonadal axes. The roles of the stress-related hormones corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and glucocorticoids in normal and disease states are being examined, and clinical applications for these hormones and their antagonists are sought. We have demonstrated that several human states are characterized by hyperactivity or hypoactivity of the central stress system, which explains not only mood changes but also the propensity of patients with such disorders to develop developmental, metabolic, cardiovascular or autoimmune complications. We are currently performing preclinical studies with the newly discovered nonpeptide, oral, CRH type 1 receptor antagonist, antalarmin, which show that such an antagonist may be useful in a large number of states characterized by hyperactivity of the stress system, such as depression, anorexia nervosa and idiopathic insomnia. At the level of the stress system target tissues, we have elucidated the molecular pathophysiology of sporadic and familial glucocorticoid resistance by defining mutations and/or deletions of the glucocorticoid receptor gene leading to abnormally functioning or decreased receptors. In the same area, we have described inflammation-induced glucocorticoid resistance and glucocorticoid secretion insufficiency in the acute respiratory distress syndrome. We have determined that Vpr and Tat, two small HIV-1 accessory proteins, are potent coactivators of the glucocorticoid receptor, causing marked target tissue glucocorticoid hypersensitivity, the presence of which may explain some of the clinical features and pathogenesis of AIDS. Also, we have made advances in understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, by demonstrating that these patients have epinephrine deficiency and insulin resistance, which leads to ovarian dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities, while we have shown that treatment with androgen antagonists combined with aromatase inhibitors decreases their need for glucocorticoid therapy resulting in a better height outcome. Finally, we have demonstrated that the carrier state of 21-hydroxylase deficiency, a common condition, is associated with significant psychiatric and physical morbidity. Recently we have initiated studies examining the participation of the mitochondria in the stress response. We have created a mitochondrial gene microarray chip and have determined the major input of glucocorticoids in the regulation of the enzyme monoaminoxidase and generation of oxygen radicals in muscle cells.