Sex differences in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-1 action within the dorsal raphe nucleus in stress responsivity

摘要

BackgroundWomen are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related affective disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is an important link between stress and mood, in part through its signaling in the serotonergic dorsal raphe (DR). Development of CRF receptor-1 (CRFr1) antagonists has been a focus of numerous clinical trials, but has not yet been proven efficacious. We hypothesized that sex differences in CRFr1 modulation of DR circuits may be key determinants in predicting therapeutic responses and affective disorder vulnerability.