Pill Against Stress May Soon Become Available

Investigators at the Tufts University say that inhibiting the effects of chemicals known as neurosteroids on a series of specific receptors in the human brain could result in an inhibition of the body's normal response to stress.

This idea was tested on unsuspecting lab mice during a new series of experiments conducted at the university. What is very important about this work is that it has the potential to be applicable to a large number of stress-related neurological disorders.

As with most analyses of stress, the new investigation set out from the hormone cortisol, which has been demonstrated to be linked with stress in previous studies. The group also paid special attention to the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis.

This stress-control pathway is heavily involved in determining the concentrations of stress hormones (including cortisol) in the body at any given time. When HPA fails, effects include obesity, Cushing’s syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, postpartum depression, epilepsy and osteoporosis.

“We have identified a novel mechanism regulating the body’s response to stress by determining that neurosteroids are required to mount the physiological response to stress,” explains the author of the new research, Tufts expert Jamie Maguire, PhD.

“Moreover, we were able to completely block the physiological response to stress as well as prevent stress-induced anxiety,” he adds. The mechanism the team identified is involved in controlling Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH) neurons, which in turn control HPA.

CRH neurons have specific receptors on their surfaces, which are activated when chemicals called neurosteroids attach themselves there. When the two couple, stress hormone production jumps through the roof.

“We have found a definite role of neurosteroids on the receptors regulating CRH nerve cells and the stress response. The data suggest that these receptors may be novel targets for control of the stress-control pathway,” Maguire explains.

“Our next work will focus on modulating these receptors to treat disorders associated with stress, including epilepsy and depression-like behaviors,” the investigator concludes, as quoted by PsychCentral.